Inflation closed out 2024 on a strong note, as a price gauge the Federal Reserve focuses on came in well above the central bank’s target.

The personal consumption expenditures price index increased 2.6% on a year over year basis, 0.2 percentage point higher than the November reading and in line with the Dow Jones estimate.

Excluding food and energy, core PCE registered a 2.8% reading, also meeting expectations and the same as the prior month. Though the Fed considers both readings, historically officials have seen core as the better gauge of long-run inflation.

On a monthly basis, headline PCE rose 0.3% while core increased 0.2%, both in line with forecasts as well.

The Fed targets annual inflation at 2%, a level the price gauge has not seen since February 2021.

The report comes two days after the central bank voted unanimously to hold its key interest rate in a range between 4.25%-4.5%, taking a break after three consecutive cuts totaling a full percentage point.

In remarks delivered Friday morning, Fed Governor Michelle Bowman said she expects inflation to decelerate through 2025, but thinks the central bank should stay on hold until there are clear signs that is happening.

“There is still more work to be done to bring inflation closer to our 2 percent goal. I would like to see progress in lowering inflation resume before we make further adjustments to the target range,” Bowman said in remarks before business leaders in Portsmouth, N.H. “I do expect that inflation will begin to decline again and that by year-end it will be lower than where it now stands.”

The report Friday also showed that personal income increased 0.4% as forecast, while spending rose 0.7%, or one-tenth of a percentage point ahead of the estimate.

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