WASHINGTON, May 19 (UPI) — Consumer prices dropped slightly in April, while prices excluding energy and food items remained flat, the U.S. Commerce Department reported Wednesday.
April’s price index puts consumer prices on balance unchanged for the past two months, as prices rose 0.1 percent in March and fell 0.1 percent in April.
That balance could mitigate fears that deflation will take over, a dynamic dreaded by economists as consumers delay spending during a deflationary trend on hopes that prices will continue to drop.
On an unadjusted basis, prices in April rose 2.2 percent from April 2009, the annual figure falling 0.1 percentage points from a month ago.
Energy prices, which dropped 0.5 percent in February, fell again, falling 1.4 percent in April after prices were virtually unchanged in March. Food prices rose 0.2 percent, following a similar rise a month ago.
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Tags: April, Consumer Prices
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