Mexico City, May 15.—In line with market consensus expectations, headline inflation in the United States briefly eased in the fourth month of the year; while the core index, which reflects medium- and long-term inflation trends, slowed in April for the first time in six months, reflecting the weakness of the dollar.
According to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) increased 0.3 percent in April on a seasonally adjusted basis, after rising 0.4 percent in March. Over the past 12 months, the index for all items in the United States increased 3.4 percent before seasonal adjustment.
Meanwhile, the core consumer price index (which excludes energy and food, which are always more volatile) matched analysts' forecasts, rising 0.3 percent monthly in April; while its year-over-year reading stood at 3.6 percent (a drop of two-tenths of a percentage point and the lowest reading in three years), although it is still far from the Federal Reserve's (Fed) target of 2 percent.
The housing index increased in April, as did the gasoline index. Combined, these two indices contributed more than 70 percent of the monthly increase in the index for all items. The energy index increased 1.1 percent during the fourth month. The food index remained unchanged in April. The food at home index decreased 0.2 percent, while the food away from home index increased 0.3 percent during the month.
