U.S. PPI Remains Unchanged in February as Goods Prices Rise

The Producer Price Index (PPI) for final demand remained stable in February, with no change reported, following increases of 0.6% in January and 0.5% in December. Over the past 12 months, the index has risen by 3.2%.

In February, prices for final demand goods increased by 0.3%, while prices for final demand services dropped by 0.2%.

The index for final demand, excluding food, energy, and trade services, rose by 0.2%. Over the year, prices in this category were up by 3.3%.

Breaking down the details for goods, the price of food saw a significant increase of 1.7%, largely driven by a 53.6% jump in chicken egg prices.

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Other goods, including pork, vegetables, and tobacco, also saw higher prices. However, energy prices fell by 1.2%, with gasoline prices dropping 4.7%.

For services, the decline was mainly due to a 1.0% drop in trade services, which reflects changes in wholesale and retail margins. The cost of transportation and warehousing services remained unchanged, while other services like inpatient care saw price increases.

Alexander Stefanov