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Consumer Price Index – March 2019
The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) increased 0.4 percent in March on a seasonally adjusted basis after rising 0.2 percent in February, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Over the last 12 months, the all items index increased 1.9 percent before seasonal adjustment. The energy index increased 3.5 percent in March, accounting for about 60 percent of the seasonally adjusted all items monthly increase. The gasoline index increased sharply, and the electricity index also rose, although the natural gas index declined. The food index also increased in March, with the indexes for food at ... (full story)
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U.S. Core Inflation Unexpectedly Cools Amid Apparel Data Shift
A key measure of U.S. inflation rose less than forecast in March on a drop in apparel prices following a methodology change for data collection, offering some reinforcement for the Federal Reserve's message of patience on interest rates. The core consumer price index, which excludes food and energy, rose 0.1 percent from the prior month, and 2 percent from a year earlier, according to a Labor Department report Wednesday. Those readings missed both the monthly and annual estimates of economists, while the broader CPI climbed 0.4 percent as forecast and a faster-than-estimated 1.9 percent annually. Wednesday’s ... (full story)