by Lucia Mutikani
Yahoo! Finance
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. monthly inflation rose moderately in March, but stubbornly higher costs for housing and utilities suggested the Federal Reserve could keep interest rates elevated for a while.
The report from the Commerce Department on Friday, which also showed strong consumer spending last month, offered some relief to financial markets spooked by worries of stagflation after data on Thursday showed inflation surging and economic growth slowing in the first quarter.
“Markets should breathe a sigh of relief this morning,” said Chris Zaccarelli, chief investment officer at Independent Advisor Alliance. “Given the elevated levels of inflation, and this is the new normal for 2024, the market is going to need to get over hopes for Fed rate cuts.”