US consumer prices increased 0.4% in April on a jump in energy costs, but the core inflation rate was tamer., data showed today.
The Labor Department's consumer price index (CPI) was softer than the 0.5% rise expected on Wall Street.
Meanwhile the core rate of inflation excluding food and energy costs, sometimes viewed as a better indicator of trends, was in line with expectations at 0.2%.
Over the past 12 months consumer prices are up 2.6% and core prices 2.3%.
