Consumer prices rose in July at their slowest monthly pace since February, though a broadening of price pressures suggests inflation may be more persistent than Federal Reserve officials predict, offering little relief to American households rocked by months of surging prices. The Labor Department said in a report Wednesday that the consumer price index (CPI) jumped 0.5 percent from June to July, down from the previous monthly increase of 0.9 percent. Over-the-year consumer price inflation stood at 5.4 percent in July, matching the June figure, which was the highest 12-month spike since 2008. So-called core inflation, which excludes the volatile categories of food and energy, rose 0.3 percent from June to July, after surging 0.9 percent from May to June. Core inflation for the 12 months ending in July rose 4.3 percent, down from 4.5 percent in June. But while the apparent peak in the annual rate of price increases boosts the …