Inflation is proving stickier than expected, which could cause Fed to hit pause button on more interest rate cuts.

STOCKS: U.S. stock index futures jumped to extend gains and S&P 500 E-minis were last up 89 points, or 1.5%BONDS: The 10-year U.S. Treasury yield dropped and was last down 12.1 basis points to 4.667%, while the two-year yield was off 9.1 basis points to 4.274%FOREX: The dollar index weakened and was last 0.4% lower to 108.76

The Consumer Price Index 0.4% M/M in December, matching the consensus and slightly accelerating from the 0.3% increase in the previous month, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data released on Wednesday.

Key Takeaways The Consumer Price Index rose 2.9% in December, accelerating from a 2.7% annual increase in November.Core inflation rose 3.2% over the year, down from 3.3% in November, providing optimism for the trajectory of the cost of living.

Progress on inflation should stall this year” as fiscal, immigration and trade policies shift, caution Bank of America economists.

There have been some troubling signs of inflation expectations picking up. The University of Michigan’s gauge of consumer expectations for price rises over the coming 5 to 10 years jumped to 3.3% in the preliminary January reading -- the highest since 2008.