Producer prices jump more than expected in April, fueled by services

The Producer Price Index for final demand increased 0.6 percent in April, seasonally adjusted, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Final demand prices rose 1.0 percent in March and 0.5 percent in February. On an unadjusted basis, the final demand index moved up 6.2 percent for the 12 months ended in April, the largest advance since 12-month data were first calculated in November 2010.

About two-thirds of the April advance in the final demand index can be traced to a 0.6-percent increase in prices for final demand services. The index for final demand goods also moved up 0.6 percent.

The index for final demand less foods, energy, and trade services rose 0.7 percent in April following an increase of 0.6 percent in March. For the 12 months ended in April, prices for final demand less foods, energy, and trade services moved up 4.6 percent, the largest advance since 12-month data were first calculated in August 2014.

Final Demand

Final demand services: Prices for final demand services rose 0.6 percent in April, the fourth consecutive advance. Half of the broad-based increase in April is attributable to the index for final demand services less trade, transportation, and warehousing, which moved up 0.5 percent. Margins

for final demand trade services also rose 0.5 percent, and the index for final demand transportation and warehousing services jumped 2.1 percent. (Trade indexes measure changes in margins received by wholesalers and retailers.)

Product detail: Within the index for final demand services in April, prices for portfolio management rose 1.5 percent. The indexes for airline passenger services; food retailing; fuels and lubricants retailing; physician care; and hardware, building materials, and supplies retailing also moved higher.

Conversely, margins for machinery and vehicle wholesaling fell 5.6 percent. The indexes for apparel wholesaling and for securities brokerage, dealing, investment advice, and related services also declined.

Final demand goods: Prices for final demand goods climbed 0.6 percent in April, after rising 1.7 percent in March. Leading the April advance, the index for final demand goods less foods and energy increased 1.0 percent. Prices for final demand foods moved up 2.1 percent. In contrast, the index for final demand energy fell 2.4 percent.

Product detail: A major factor in the April increase in prices for final demand goods was the index for steel mill products, which jumped 18.4 percent. Prices for beef and veal, pork, residential natural gas, plastic resins and materials, and dairy products also moved higher. Conversely, the index for gasoline fell 3.4 percent. Prices for chicken eggs and for carbon steel scrap also declined.