PCE inflation January 2025: Fed's favorite core inflation measure hits 2.6% in January, as expected

Inflation eased slightly in January as worries accelerated over President Donald Trump’s tariff plans, according to a Commerce Department report Friday.

The personal consumption expenditures price index, the Federal Reserve’s preferred inflation measure, increased 0.3% for the month and showed a 2.5% annual rate.

Excluding food and energy, the core PCE also rose 0.3% for the month and was at 2.6% annually. Fed officials more closely follow the core measure as a better indicator of longer-term trends. The 12-month core measure showed a step down from the upwardly revised 2.9% level in December. Headline inflation eased by 0.1 percentage point.

The numbers all were in line with Dow Jones consensus estimates and likely keep Fed Chair Jerome Powell and his colleagues on hold for the time being regarding interest rates.