U.S. Consumer Prices Edge Down 0.1% In June, In Line With Estimates

(RTTNews) - A report released by the Commerce Department on Thursday showed a modest pullback in U.S. consumer prices in the month of June.

The report said the personal consumption expenditures (PCE) price index slipped by 0.1 percent in June after climbing by an upwardly revised 0.5 in May.

Economists had expected prices to edge down by 0.1 percent compared to the 0.4 percent increase originally reported for the previous month.

The Commerce Department also said the annual rate of growth by the PCE price index slowed to 3.7 in June from 4.1 in May, which was also in line with economist estimates.

The slight monthly pullback by consumer prices reflected a 0.6 percent decrease in prices for goods, which came as prices for gasoline and other energy goods plummeted by 9.2 percent. Prices for services ticked up by 0.1 percent.

Excluding food and energy prices, the core PCE price index crept up by 0.1 percent in June after rising by 0.3 percent in May. Core prices were expected to increase by 0.2 percent

The annual rate of growth by the core PCE price index dipped to 3.3 percent in June from 3.4 percent in May, matching expectations.

"The news in June was good on the prices front, as the core PCE index came in a touch less than expected," said Bernard Yaros, Lead U.S. Economist at Oxford Economics.

He added, "Though core inflation will hover above 3% y/y in H2, a benign outlook for services prices, the fading of tariff effects, and favorable methodological changes to the PCE index will keep the central bank on a prolonged pause."

The Federal Reserve's preferred readings on consumer price inflation were included in the Commerce Department's report on personal income and spending.

The Commerce Department said personal income rose 0.2 percent in June after climbing by 0.7 percent in May. Economists had expected personal income to rise by 0.3 percent.

Meanwhile, the report said personal spending increased by 0.3 percent in June after growing by an upwardly revised 0.9 percent in May. The increase matched economist estimates.

With spending rising by slightly more than income, personal saving as a percentage of disposable income edged down to 2.7 percent in June from 2.8 percent in May.