US consumer prices rise 0.2% in August, core inflation stickiness may affect Fed rate cut decision

U.S. consumer prices rose slightly in August, with the CPI increasing by 0.2%. The annual rise was 2.5%, the smallest since February 2021. Core inflation showed some persistence, which may influence the Federal Reserve's decision on interest rate cuts next week, potentially favoring a quarter-point reduction over a half-point cut.