US consumers probably experienced only a modest pickup in inflation as 2025 drew to a close, consistent with price pressures that are gradually abating.
The core consumer price index, regarded as a measure of underlying inflation because it strips out volatile food and energy costs, is seen rising 2.7% in December from a year earlier. That’s just a touch more than the 2.6% annual advance in November, which was the smallest since early 2021.
