PPI shows ongoing cost squeeze; recent price moves are mixed; Reed says starts sag

The producer Price Index for finished goods increased 0.3 percent, not seasonally adjusted (0.4 percent, seasonally adjusted), in September and 4.0 percentover the past 12 months, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported on Thursday [Oct. 14]. The PPI for inputs to construction, a weighted average of materials used in every type of project plus items consumed by contractors (such as diesel fuel), fell 0.1 percentfor the month but increased 3.8 percentover 12 months, according to an Oct. 15 Data DIGest report.

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