4 months ago
6
WASHINGTON (AP) — Inflation in the United States cooled in June for a third straight month, a sign that the worst price spike in four decades is steadily fading and may soon usher in interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve.
Consumer prices declined 0.1% from May to June after having remained flat the previous month, the government reported Thursday. Measured from 12 months earlier, prices were up 3% in June, down from 3.3% in May.
The latest inflation readings could help convince the Fed’s policymakers that inflation is returning to its 2% target. A brief pickup in inflation early this year had caused Fed officials to scale back their expectations for interest rate cuts. They responded by saying they would need to see several months of mild price increases to feel confident enough enough to cut their key rate from its 23-year high.
Should inflation remain low through the summer, many economists expect the Fed to begin cutting its benchmark rate in September.
Even as inflation slows, though, the costs of food, rent, health care and other necessities remain much higher than they were before the pandemic...
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