The Producer Price Index for final demand advanced 0.1 percent in May, seasonally adjusted, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Final demand prices declined 0.2 percent in April and 0.1 percent in March. (See table A.) On an unadjusted basis, the index for final demand rose 2.6 percent for the 12 months ended in May. The May increase in the index for final demand was led by prices for final demand services, which advanced 0.1 percent. The index for final demand goods rose 0.2 percent. Prices for final demand less foods, energy, and trade services edged up 0.1 percent in May after falling 0.1 percent ... (full story)

US wholesale inflation rose slightly in May. The latest Producer Price Index, a closely watched measurement of wholesale inflation, showed that prices paid to producers rose 0.1% in May, lifting the annual rate to 2.6%, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data released Thursday. The upswing marked a turnabout from a 0.2% drop in April, which was driven largely by wholesalers and retailers’ margins being squeezed because of higher tariffs. Economists were expecting that prices would rise 0.2% from April and 2.6% for the 12 months ended in May. PPI serves as a potential bellwether for retail-level inflation in the ... (full story)