January Inflation Shows a Scant 0.2% Rise, and the Core Rate Fell

Inflation hawks got little to feed on in January, as consumer prices in the month rose just 0.2% on moderating housing costs, the U.S. Labor Department announced Friday. Further, the core rate -- which excludes the often-volatile food and energy component -- fell 0.1% in January and is up just 1.6% in the past 12 months.