- Fallen giants Ghana in AFCON trouble after Sudan draw
- Asian leaders meet in Laos with US, Russia on world turmoil
- England gamble backfires as Pavlidis fires emotional Greece to victory
- Obama stumps for Harris, Trump talks US protectionism
- New-look France ease past Israel in Nations League
- Belgium fight back to draw with 10-man Italy in Nations League
- 'Get a life': Hurricane whips up US election storm
- Japan stay perfect in World Cup qualifying
- Relief as Lebanon evacuees dock in Turkey
- Lebanon says 22 dead in Israeli strikes on central Beirut
- NBA boss Silver sees games back in China 'at some point'
- Israel strikes central Beirut, killing 22
- Table tennis and Netflix push Ukraine teen into French Open contention
- Civilians flee Gaza's Jabalia in tightening Israeli siege
- Israel strikes central Beirut, killing 18
- At least 10 dead in Florida from tornadoes caused by Hurricane Milton
- Warhol's rare 'Queen' collection opens at Dutch museum
- Three-time NBA champion Green retires
- MLB Twins up for sale after 40 years
- S.Sudan floods affect 893,000, over 241,000 displaced: UN
- Solar storm could impact US hurricane recovery efforts: agency
- Windies sweat on injury to 'crucial' Taylor at World Cup
- Lebanon says 11 dead, 48 injured in Israeli strikes on Beirut
- Panama lashes out at EU over tax haven 'outrage'
- Erdogan says Gaza 'shame of humanity', calls for permanent ceasfire
- TD Bank to pay more than $3 bn to US in money-laundering case
- SAfrica prosecutors drop criminal complaint against president
- 'Good opportunity': Nagelsmann upbeat despite Germany's long injury list
- Hurricane whips up bitter US election battle
- Cameroon bans media talk of president's health amid rumours
- NFL MVP Jackson and rookie phenom Daniels set for showdown
- Chad's capital under threat as floodwaters rise
- Lebanon state media says Israeli strikes hit central Beirut
- No answers on strike on reporters in Lebanon one year on: watchdog
- Ramharack picks four wickets as Windies beat Bangladesh in Women's T20 World Cup
- France's City of Light switches to climate-resilient power cables
- Djokovic hails Nadal 'legacy' as Alcaraz in 'shock' over retirement
- Obama hits campaign trail for Harris
- Delta eyes Election Day travel pullback as profits climb
- Djokovic tells Nadal: 'Your legacy will live forever'
- Ethel Kennedy, wife of RFK, dead at 96
- Zelensky denies ceasefire with Russia under discussion on trip
- Florida battered by hurricane, floods but spared 'worst-case scenario'
- After long fight for glory, Nadal leaves with a legacy of memories
- Home hopes Zheng and Wang through to last-eight in Wuhan Open
- UN peacekeepers say Israel fired on Lebanon HQ, injuring 2
- UK's William and Kate in first joint public engagement since cancer treatment
- Alcaraz out as top players pay tribute to Nadal at Shanghai Masters
- Racing's Farrell 'not thinking' about British and Irish Lions
- Alcaraz, Sinner pay tribute to 'unbelievable' Nadal at Shanghai Masters
US Fed's favored inflation gauge ticks higher as fuel costs rise
The US central bank's favored measure of inflation edged higher last month on the back of rising fuel prices, according to government data published Friday, but a metric stripping out volatile food and energy prices continued to ease.
The data suggest inflation is still broadly on the Federal Reserve's bumpy path toward its long-term target of two percent, despite the recent uptick.
But the higher top-line figure will likely cause concern at President Joe Biden's reelection campaign, as the Democratic incumbent seeks to convince still-skeptical consumers that the economy is heading in the right direction ahead of November's vote.
The personal consumption expenditures (PCE) price index rose at an annual rate of 2.5 percent in February, up 0.1 percentage points from a month earlier, the Department of Commerce said in a statement.
The figure is in line with the median forecasts in a survey of economists conducted by Dow Jones Newswires and The Wall Street Journal.
Goods prices rose 0.5 percent last month, while the costs of services increased by 0.3 percent.
Much of the February increase in the cost of goods came from energy prices, which rose 2.3 percent from January.
On a monthly basis, PCE inflation eased slightly from January, rising by 0.3 percent.
"The loosening of labor market conditions, stable inflation expectations, and likely disinflation in rents to come all make us confident that inflation will still trend slightly lower over the course of this year," Michael Pearce from Oxford Economics wrote in a note to clients.
"That should be enough to give the Fed confidence to begin removing some of the policy tightness later this year, though the resilience of the real economy means policymakers are in no rush," he added.
Recent data has led some Fed officials to question policymakers' recent prediction of three interest rate cuts this year, as the US central bank pivots from tightening to loosening monetary policy.
"In my view, it is appropriate to reduce the overall number of rate cuts or push them further into the future in response to the recent data," Fed Governor Christopher Waller told a conference in New York on Wednesday.
- Easing 'core' prices -
While the headline inflation rate rose last month, the closely watched "core inflation" measure, which strips out volatile food and energy costs, eased slightly, rising by 2.8 percent on an annual basis, and by 0.3 percent from January.
"The stickiness in the core and services inflation readings in February and January justifies Fed officials less dovish mood as of late," Nationwide chief economist Kathy Bostjancic wrote in an investor note.
"It supports our view that the Fed waits to at least June to start cutting rates, with odds of a July start rising," she added.
Futures traders currently assign a probability of just under 65 percent that the Fed will have started cutting rates by mid-June, according to CME Group data.
After rising by 1.0 percent in January, personal income rose by a more modest 0.3 percent last month, the Commerce Department said.
Personal savings as a percentage of disposable income dropped substantially from a revised 4.1 percent in January to 3.6 percent in February, indicating that consumers are using up more of their savings as prices continue to tick higher.
The inflation figures are being closely watched by the White House as President Joe Biden seeks reelection in November
P.M.Smith--AMWN