Gradual improvement expected in latest inflation report

WASHINGTON — The persistence of high inflation will likely be on display — again — in Wednesday’s latest government report on consumer price increases.

Yet there may also be some signs of improvement in the March inflation data, with the prices of some key items, such as gasoline, furniture and new cars, potentially rising more slowly or falling outright. Compared with 12 months earlier, economists predict that inflation slowed sharply, from 6% in February to 5.2% in March, according to a survey by the data provider FactSet.