March 11 (UPI) -- The consumer price index rose at a slightly quicker pace in February than January but the annual rate of inflation slowed, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Wednesday.
The index for all items increased by 0.3% on a seasonally adjusted basis after climbing about 0.2% in January. For the 12 months ending in February, the index for all items increased by 2.4% without a seasonal adjustment.
The Dow Jones consensus forecast estimated the 12-month inflation rate for February would be 2.4%
When factoring out volatile items like food and energy, the index rose by 0.2% in February. The food index increased by 0.4%, while the food at home index increased by 0.8%.
Fruits and vegetables had the greatest increase among food items in February, rising by 1.4%, while cheese declined by 1.2%.
