Little relief for US consumers as sticky rents keep inflation elevated

By Lucia Mutikani WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. consumer prices increased solidly in February as Americans faced persistently higher costs for rents, posing a dilemma for the Federal Reserve, whose fight against inflation has been complicated by the collapse of two regional banks. Economists disagreed on whether the report from the Labor Department on Tuesday, which also showed underlying consumer prices rising by the most in five months, would compel the Fed to prioritize bringing inflation under control or focus on financial markets stability. Some expected a quarter-point interest rate hike w…

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