Producer Price Index Rises 1.1%

Prices paid to U.S. producers rose 1.1% in September, reflecting an increase in fuel costs, the Labor Department said Thursday.

The producer price index increase followed a 1.7% upturn in August. The so-called core PPI, which excludes food and energy, was unchanged the first time it didn’t increase since October 2011, Labor said.

Economists had forecast a 0.8% increase in the PPI, and a core rate increase of 0.2%, Bloomberg reported.

An increase in the PPI could indicate strong demand for goods, which would mean more shipments for trucking companies. However, if inflation begins to accelerate too quickly, it also could hurt the economy.

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Producer Prices Increase in September

Prices paid to U.S. producers rose 0.8% in September, the largest gain in five months, the Labor Department said Tuesday.

The increase in the producer price index — which measures prices paid to factories, farmers and other producers — followed an unchanged index in August.

The core PPI, which excludes food and energy, rose 0.2%.

Economists had predicted a 0.2% increase in the PPI and a 0.1% gain in the core PPI, Bloomberg reported.

An increase in the PPI could indicate strong demand for goods, which would mean more shipments for trucking companies. However, if inflation begins to accelerate too quickly, it could also hurt the economy.

View the original article here