US producer prices rose far more than expected in April, according to data released Wednesday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Prices rose 1.4% in April over the previous month, far above March’s revised gain of 0.7% and economists' expectations for an increase of 0.5% on the month. Excluding the more volatile food and energy costs, producer prices advanced by 1% over the previous month, more than double the 0.3% growth economists had predicted and well above the previous month's revised gain of 0.2%. On an annual basis, headline prices rose by 6% in April, above estimates of 4.8% and the previous month's 4.3% ... (full story)