US consumer prices rise 0.3% in April; core CPI slows

U.S. consumer prices rose less than expected in April, indicating a resumption of the downward trend in inflation at the beginning of the second quarter, which has bolstered financial market expectations for a potential interest rate cut in September. The consumer price index (CPI) increased by 0.3% last month, following advances of 0.4% in both March and February, according to data from the Labor Department's Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). On a year-on-year basis, the CPI rose by 3.4% in April, slightly lower than the 3.5% increase recorded in March.