Inflation in the United States ticked up in October, driven by costlier rents, used cars and air fares, a sign that price increases might be leveling off after having slowed in September to their lowest pace since 2021.

U.S. inflation rose 2.6% on an annual basis last month, representing an uptick from September when the Federal Reserve began cutting interest rates amid signs of cooling prices and a weaker labor market.

That matched forecasts from economists polled by FactSet that the Consumer Price Index rose 2.6% in October. The CPI rose 2.4% in September, when the Fed ushered in a jumbo rate cut of 0.5 percentage points, followed by a second rate cut this month.

Inflation rose two-tenths of a percentage point to 2.6% for the year ending in October, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Wednesday in an update to the consumer price index, the first rise in annual inflation in six months.

Annual inflation may have risen in October for the first time in seven months, a sign that price increases might be leveling off after steadily cooling for more than two years

(Reuters) -Indian shares opened lower on Wednesday as a spike in retail inflation dampened hopes of a rate cut by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) next month, adding to concerns over dull earnings and sustained foreign outflows.

A rise in prices could make the Federal Reserve less likely to cut its key interest rate in the coming months. But most economists believe inflation will continue its slowdown.