Wholesale costs for goods and services were flat in July, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Thursday in the latest positive sign for inflation.
The producer price index, a measure of underlying inflation pressures, was unchanged for the month, below the 0.2% Dow Jones consensus estimate and after falling 0.1% in June. The June figure was revised from a previously reported decline of 0.3%.
Excluding food and energy, core PPI rose 0.2%, against the forecast for a 0.3% gain. Core PPI excluding trade services increased 0.4%.
On an annual basis, headline PPI increased 4.7% for the all-items index and 4.2% for core, according to unadjusted figures.
