Tag Archive for ‘Building Materials’

Inflation at the Producer Level in April – Not So Fast

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The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released the Producer Price Indexes (PPI) for April. Inflation in prices received by producers (prior to sales to consumers) rose 0.6% in April from March. This increase was dominated by increases in food goods and trade services. Excluding the more volatile, and weather affected categories of food, trade and energy, prices increased a more… Read More ›

Producer Prices in February – Well Restrained

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The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released the Producer Price Indexes (PPI) for February. Overall, inflation at the producer level declined -0.1% in February from January (seasonally adjusted), balancing a 0.4% increase in prices for goods and a 0.3% decline in prices for services. On an unadjusted basis, inflation slowed to 0.9% for the 12 month period ending in February,… Read More ›

Producer Prices in January – Big Changes at the Top, Not Much at the Bottom

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The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released major changes to the Producer Price Indexes (PPI) program with the data for January. The objective was to realign the aggregate indexes with the contours of a dynamic economy, incorporating indexes for services, construction, government purchases, and exports into the broader aggregate indexes. (For more information see new PPI.) The results show a… Read More ›

Producer Prices in August – Wood Products Prices Mixed, Gypsum Threatens Again

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The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released the Producer Price Indexes (PPI) for August. Producer prices for finished goods rose 0.3% in August driven by increases in food (0.6%) and energy (0.8%) prices. Excluding food and energy, the core index was flat. The PPI for softwood lumber rose 2.6% from July to August after declining 2.3% from June to July…. Read More ›

Producer Prices in July – Flat Prices Overall, Wood Products Prices Extend Their Descent

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The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released the Producer Price Indexes (PPI) for July. Producer prices for finished goods were flat in July after rising 0.8% in June and 0.5% in May. Excluding food and energy, the core index continued its recent stability rising 0.1%. A 0.2% monthly decline in energy prices and flat food prices held the headline index flat… Read More ›

Building Material Price Growth Slows

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After a period of significant increases, the growth in the prices of building materials has slowed according to June Producer Price data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Year-over-year growth in gypsum prices slowed by 3.8 percentage points to 15.6%. Annual softwood lumber price growth decelerated by 8.7 percentage points to 8.0%. And Oriented Strand Board (OSB) prices grew… Read More ›

Builders and Lumber Dealers Both Report Shortages of Key Materials

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The home building industry is facing emerging shortages of key building materials like lumber and wall board, according to surveys conducted by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and National Lumber and Building Material Dealers Association (NLBMDA) in May. Among builders, the highest incidence of shortages was for oriented strand board (OSB), with 22 percent of builders reporting shortages,… Read More ›

Producer Prices in April – Builders May Get Relief on Wood Products Prices

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The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released the Producer Price Indexes (PPI) for April. Overall, producer prices declined for a second month based on continuing declines in energy prices, but the sharp price increases for the building materials framing lumber and OSB may be nearing an end. The PPI for finished goods declined 0.7% in April from March (seasonally adjusted)… Read More ›