Consumer Price Index Rises in February

The consumer price index rose 0.4% in February as gasoline prices increased, the Labor Department said Friday.

The gain in the government’s main inflation gauge matched economists' projections, Bloomberg reported.

The reading rose 0.2% in January.

The core CPI rate excluding food and energy edged up 0.1%, Bloomberg said.

Almost 60% of the CPI covers prices consumers pay for services. If consumer prices are climbing, it could reflect an increase in demand for consumer goods, which increases the demand for trucking services.