Inflation rose 4.9% in April from a year ago, less than expectations

A widely followed measure of inflation rose in April, despite more than a year’s worth of Federal Reserve interest rate increases.

The consumer price index, which measures the cost of a broad swath of goods and services, increased 0.4% for the month, in line with the Dow Jones estimate, according to a Labor Department report Wednesday.

However, that equated to an annual increase of 4.9%, slightly less than the 5% estimate.

Excluding volatile food and energy categories, core CPI rose 0.4% monthly and 5.5% from a year ago both in line with expectations.

Increases in shelter, gasoline and used vehicles pushed the index higher, and were offset somewhat by declines in prices for fuel oil, new vehicles and food at home.

Markets reacted positively to the news, with futures turning positive as Treasury yields were lower.

Inflation has been persistent despite the Fed’s efforts to bring down prices. Starting in March 2022, the central bank has enacted 10 consecutive interest rate increases totaling 5 percentage points, taking benchmark borrowing rates to their highest level in nearly 16 years.