Wall Street Journal (03/18/14) Sarah Portlock; Eric Morath

Consumer prices barely budged in February, an indication that inflationary pressures are negligible. The U.S. Federal Reserve aims to keep inflation below a 2% annual rate. The consumer-price index rose a seasonally adjusted 0.1% in February from January, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. Core prices, which do not include food and energy costs, also increased 0.1%. The numbers were in line with forecasts by economists polled by Dow Jones.

Consumer prices rose 1.1% year-to-year, the weakest 12-month increase since October and below the U.S. Federal Reserve’s annual inflation target. Core prices increased 1.6% year-to-year.