The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) increased 0.2 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis, after declining 0.1 percent in June, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Over the last 12 months, the all items index increased 2.9 percent before seasonal adjustment. The index for shelter rose 0.4 percent in July, accounting for nearly 90 percent of the monthly increase in the all items index. The energy index was unchanged over the month, after declining in the two preceding months. The index for food increased 0.2 percent in July, as it did in June. The food away from home index rose 0.2 ... (full story)

Price hikes slowed more than expected in July, and, for the first time in more than three years, the Consumer Price Index has landed below 3%. Consumer prices rose 2.9% for the 12 months ended in July, slowing from June’s 3% annual gain, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ latest CPI report released Wednesday. On a monthly basis, prices rose 0.2% after posting a 0.1% decline the month before. The cost of owning and renting a home rose 0.4%. That so-called shelter index accounted for nearly 90% of the monthly increase, BLS said in the report. Economists were expecting a 0.2% monthly increase and an annual ... (full story)