December's inflation numbers came in Tuesday showing price pressures stuck above the Federal Reserve's 2% target, but at least they didn't get worse heading into year-end.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported the Consumer Price Index rose 2.7% year over year in December, unchanged from November and right where economists expected it. On a monthly basis, consumer prices climbed 0.3%, also matching forecasts.

The better news came from core inflation, which excludes volatile food and energy prices. That measure held at 2.6%, pleasantly below the 2.7% estimate analysts were bracing for.