February CPI Holds at 2.4%

Washington, D.C. — U.S. consumer inflation held steady in February as prices rose 0.3% from January and 2.4% over the past year, a reading confirmed by Reuters, CNBC, Fox Business, Kiplinger, HousingWire, and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. We are highlighting only details corroborated by at least four of those sources.

• The Consumer Price Index increased 0.3% in February and was up 2.4% over the last 12 months.
• Core CPI, which excludes food and energy, rose 0.2% for the month and 2.5% year over year.
• Shelter costs were the largest monthly driver, with the shelter index up 0.2% and rent up 0.1%.
• Food prices climbed 0.4% in February and were 3.1% higher than a year earlier.
• Energy prices rose 0.6% in February, including a 0.8% rise in gasoline.

Additional Details Reported

Outlook after energy shocks

Several outlets noted that the February data came before recent spikes in oil prices tied to the Iran conflict, which could push headline inflation higher in the coming months.

Economists also said the Federal Reserve is likely to hold rates steady in the near term while monitoring how higher energy costs and tariff pressures flow through to consumer prices.

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