(Eloy Alonso/Reuters)
Producer prices went nowhere in August.
The Producer Price Index (PPI) for final demand was flat month-on-month, and fell 0.8% year-on-year.
Excluding volatile food and energy costs, "core" PPI rose 0.3% compared to July, and rose 0.9% compared to a year ago.
Economists had estimated that PPI for final demand fell 0.1% month-on-month and 0.9% year-on-year.
By measuring prices from the perspective of sellers, PPI is a forward-looking measure of consumer prices, and ultimately, inflation.
"In one line: Third straight outsized core gain, but probably not a serious shift in the trend," wrote Pantheon Macroeconomics' Ian Shepherdson in a client note.
(Pantheon Macroeconomics)
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