Morning NewsInflation Eased Slightly in April, According to Fed’s Preferred Measure
Inflation decelerated slightly in April, measured by the Federal Reserve’s preferred gauge, though it remained near its fastest pace since 1982. Consumer prices rose 6.3% in April from a year earlier, down from 6.6% in March, as measured by the Commerce Department’s personal-consumption expenditures price index, which it reported Friday. The March rise was the fastest since January 1982. April’s reading was the first time the measure eased since late 2020. The so-called core PCE index—which excludes volatile food and energy prices—increased 4.9% in April from a year ago, down from 5.2% in the year through March. On a monthly basis, core prices rose a seasonally adjusted 0.3%, the same as in February and March. That pace marked a moderate slowdown from the average monthly pace for the previous four months.