The Producer Price Index for final demand fell 0.5 percent in April, seasonally adjusted, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Final demand prices were unchanged in March and increased 0.2 percent in February. (See table A.) On an unadjusted basis, the index for final demand rose 2.4 percent for the 12 months ended in April. The April decline in the index for final demand is attributable to prices for final demand services, which decreased 0.7 percent. The index for final demand goods was unchanged. Prices for final demand less foods, energy, and trade services edged down 0.1 percent in April, the ... (full story)

US wholesale prices fell in April, according to new data released Thursday. The Producer Price Index, a closely watched measurement of wholesale inflation, showed Thursday that the prices paid to US producers dropped 0.5% in April from the month before, a much softer reading than economists expected, and the biggest monthly drop since April 2020, when Covid stifled the economy. On an annual basis, inflation slowed to 2.4%, from 3.4% in March, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Economists were expecting monthly prices to rise by 0.2% and to slow to 2.4% on an annual basis from the initial estimate of 2.7%, ... (full story)