February Consumer Price Index Rises 0.4%

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Consumer prices rose 0.4% in February, the Labor Department said Friday.The “core” consumer price index, which excludes food and energy, rose 0.2% and were 2.7% higher than a year earlier. The overall CPI gain followed January’s 0.2% increase and was higher than economists’ forecast of a 0.3% rise, Bloomberg reported. Core prices matched expectations.Price increases were led by fuel, food and medical care, Bloomberg said.The CPI is the government's broadest gauge of costs for goods and services. 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.