WebProNews

U.S. consumer prices increased 0.1% last month as energy costs fell for the second consecutive month.

The factors helped ease fear about inlation.

According to a GlobeAndMail article,

"Excluding volatile food and energy costs, the Consumer Price Index rose 0.2 per cent for a fourth consecutive month in January, the Labour Department said.

Wall Street economists had expected a 0.2-per-cent rise in the CPI, both overall and excluding food and energy, but traders had braced for larger gains after a report Friday showed a big resurgence in core producer prices.

The tame consumer price report helped allay concerns the Federal Reserve could step up its so-far "measured" campaign of interest-rate rises to keep inflation in check."

Energy costs decreased 1.1%, including fuel oil prices down 5.2%, natural gas down 3% and gasoline down 2.1%.

WebProNews | Breaking eBusiness News
Your source for investigative ebusiness reporting and breaking news.