Still-Elevated Core Inflation Lifts Odds on Fed Hike Next Week
US consumer inflation slowed as expected last month, but underlying prices rose by slightly more than forecast, helping support odds on a quarter-point hike at next week’s Federal Reserve. According to data published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics this morning, the headline consumer price index rose 6.0 percent in February from the same period last year, up 0.4 percent on a month-over-month basis. This aligned tightly with estimates from economists polled by the major data providers ahead of the release. Energy costs slipped -0.7 percent month-over-month as a -7.9-percent drop in fuel oil offset a 1-percent rise in gasoline prices....