U.S. inflation accelerated last month as the cost of groceries, gasoline and rents rose, a disappointment for families and businesses struggling with higher costs and likely underscoring the Federal Reserve's resolve to delay further interest rate cuts.

The producer price index for final demand climbed 0.4% from a month earlier, and that after an upwardly revised 0.5% increase in December, the Bureau of Labor Statistics said Thursday. The data on wholesale prices comes just a day after a consumer price index report showed underlying inflation at its highest in more than a year.

The index that tracks food was up 4 percent, led in part by a 6.6 percent increase in the category that includes meats, poultry, fish and eggs. Egg prices across the country are skyrocketing because of a bird flu outbreak. Nationally, egg prices jumped 15 percent from December to January.