Core PPI Unexpectedly Falls For Second Month

ByJohn S. McClenahen The so-called core PPI -- the Producer Price Index (PPI) for finished goods minus price changes for food and fuel -- unexpectedly fell 0.1% in December, the U.S. Labor Department's Bureau of Labor Statistics reported on Jan. 14. It was the second consecutive month of a 0.1% decrease and contrasted with the 0.1% gain that economists and analysts generally expected. Including food and fuel, the PPI for finished goods rose a seasonally adjusted 0.3% in December, a bit higher than the 0.2% generally anticipated.