U.S. april personal spending up as expected

Personal spending, under scrutiny as a barometer of how consumers are faring as the U.S. economy cools, had risen by 0.4 percent the previous month.

The Commerce Department said that personal income was up 0.2 percent in April, also matching forecasts, following an upwardly revised 0.4 percent increase in March. This was previously reported as a 0.3 percent rise. But adjusted for inflation, income stagnated in April for the second straight month.

The overall personal consumption expenditures price index was up 0.2 percent in April from a 0.3 percent increase the month before, the Commerce Department said.

Excluding volatile food and energy prices, the core PCE price index, which is the Federal Reserve's preferred measure of inflation, rose by 0.1 percent as expected, slowing from a 0.2 percent increase in March.