Both 'Core' And Overall Producer Price Indexes Rise

ByJohn S. McClenahen The so-called "core" Producer Price Index (PPI), which excludes often-volatile price changes for food and energy, advanced 0.2% in June, reports the U.S. Labor Department's Bureau of Labor Statistics. It was the closely watched inflation indicator's biggest gain since its 0.2% increase in December 2001. The overall PPI, which includes price changes for food and energy, also rose in June but at a smaller 0.1% monthly rate. Merrill Lynch & Co., New York, sees no reason to send out an economic alert, labeling inflation "tame" and noting that the overall PPI is down 2.1% on a year-to-year basis.