Zero inflation in February

The Labor Department reported zero inflation for the month of February as rising prices for medical care and education were offset by sharply lower costs for energy and apparel. This comes after a 0.2 percent increase in January and marks the eleventh straight month that the price index did not drop after a series of steep declines beginning in late-2008.
On a year-over-year basis, the overall consumer price index was up 2.2 percent following an annual gain of 2.7 percent the month before, however, we may not have seen the last of rising annual inflation as recently higher gasoline prices are not reflected in the most recent data.

By category, it was a familiar story as health care and education costs continued their relentless advance while prices for many other goods again fell. The closely watched shelter component (within the housing category) was flat in February after a decline of 0.5 percent last month and is now down 0.4 percent on a year-over-year basis.
Energy prices were down 0.5 percent in February after an increase of 2.8 percent the month prior and are now 14.4 percent higher than a year ago. Last month, gasoline prices fell 1.4 percent but they are still almost 37 percent higher than last year at this time.

Recall that gasoline prices did not move much above the $2 a gallon mark last year until May, so there will be a few more months of big energy price increases in the period ahead.