Consumer inflation in the United States remained stable at 2.4 percent in February, in line with market expectations, government data showed Wednesday, as affordability concerns persist in the world’s largest economy. The consumer price index (CPI) rose 2.4 percent year-on-year, the same increase as reported a month prior. The price index rose 0.3 percent month-on-month, also in line with market expectations. Price increases were reported in medical care, education, apparel, airline fares and household furnishings, the U.S. Labor Department said. Prices for used vehicles and vehicle insurance, communications and personal care were down. The core Consumer Price Index (CPI), which excludes volatile energy and food prices, rose 2.5 percent over last year in February. The fresh data was in line with market expectations, as per surveys of economists conducted by Dow Jones Newswires and The Wall Street Journal. The index for energy increased 0.6 percent on-month in February, following a 1.5 percent fall the previous month. Price shocks to global oil markets from the U.S.-Israel war on Iran were n
