A big jump in energy costs pushed U.S. consumer prices up sharply last month, while rising rents led to an unexpectedly steep gain in core prices, according to a government report on Wednesday that stirred inflation worries in financial markets.
The Labor Department said the consumer price index rose 0.6 percent in April, while the core index, which strips out volatile food and energy prices, rose 0.3 percent for a second consecutive month. Wall Street economists had expected consumer prices to rise 0.5 percent last month, with core prices up just 0.2 percent.
