TODAY

Eye on inflation

A key measure of U.S. inflation is expected to have increased in April for the third straight month.

Economists project the Labor Department’s consumer price index, due out today, increased 3.6% over the past 12 months. That would follow annual increases of 2.6% in March and 1.7% in February. One reason for the big annual increases is last year prices tumbled as much of the world went into a pandemic lockdown. Fed Chairman Jerome Powell has said he expects any increase in inflation to be temporary. Consumer price index annual percent change, not seasonally adjusted