Core inflation rate hit 3.2% in March, as expected; GDP grew 2% in first quarter

Gas prices are displayed at a station in Brooklyn on April 21, 2026 in New York City. Spencer Platt | Getty Images Consumers faced escalating prices in March as the Iran war sent oil soaring and created a new level of challenges for the Federal Reserve. The core personal consumption expenditures price index, which excludes food and energy, accelerated a seasonally adjusted 0.3% for the month, pushing the 12-month inflation rate to 3.2%, the Commerce Department reported Thursday. …