M/M vs. +0.3% consensus and +0.4% prior, according to data released by the Bureau of Economic Analysis on Thursday.

WASHINGTON, April 9 (Reuters) - U.S. inflation increased as expected in February and likely rose further in March amid the war with Iran, a trend that is expected to discourage the Federal Reserve from cutting interest rates for a while.

The February personal consumption expenditures price index rose in line with estimates, but doesn't reflect the Iran war's latest impact on inflation or consumer spending.

In February, annual US personal consumption expenditure inflation stood at 2.8 per cent, unchanged from the previous month In February, US PCE inflation stood at an annual rate of 2.8 per cent, in line with January’s figure.

The U.S. PCE inflation data, the Fed’s favorite inflation gauge, has come in lower than expectations. This data release comes just ahead of next week’s FOMC meeting, where the Fed is likely to hold rates steady.

The Federal Reserve is faced with a very difficult decision that could make or break the stock market.

The Commerce Department on Friday released the February 2026 PCE inflation report, which showed the Federal Reserve's preferred inflation gauge remained stubbornly high for consumers.

Americans kept spending in February even as prices rose, with the Iran war expected to push costs higher, new data showed Thursday.

The latest government release, echoed across major financial outlets, put the month-on-month PCE increase at roughly 0.4%. According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, the PCE price index rose 0.4% in February and the 12‑month change moved up to about 2.

Yahoo Finance Markets and Data Editor Jared Blikre previews several of the biggest stories to come tomorrow, Thursday, April 9, including the release of March's Personal Consumption Expenditures index (PCE) — the Federal Reserve's preferred inflation gauge — alongside weekly initial jobless claims data and the latest reading on mortgage rates.