The cost of living in the US rose at a slower pace in January, a sign inflation was restrained in early 2014.
The consumer-price index rose 0.1 per cent after a 0.2 per cent gain the prior month, a Labour Department report showed on Thursday in Washington. The median forecast of 86 economists surveyed by Bloomberg called for a 0.1 per cent rise. The CPI climbed 1.6 per cent from a year earlier. Excluding volatile food and fuel, the so-called core measure also advanced 0.1 per cent from the prior month.
Companies from Whole Foods Market to clothing store chains are offering lower prices to attract more customers and boost sales. Limited inflation has given Federal Reserve policy makers the flexibility to keep borrowing costs low to stimulate the economy.