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.

US wholesale inflation remained stubbornly elevated last month, another sign that even higher prices could be ahead for American shoppers.