Figures show that US consumer prices were unexpectedly flat in September as energy costs fell. Economists had expected a 0.1% monthly rise.
Core prices, which exclude volatile food and energy costs, were also milder than expected, gaining 0.1% from August instead of the 0.2% economists had forecast. Fed officials watch core prices carefully as a sign of future trends in inflation pressures.
Energy costs declined 1.9% in September after a 3.1% drop the previous month. Energy services prices, which include costs for natural gas and electricity, tumbled by 3.2%, the biggest decline in the 61-year history of the series. Petrol prices fell another 0.6% after a 4.2% fall in August.
