Eye On Housing
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released the Producer Price Indexes (PPI) for February last week (PPI). The PPI for finished goods rose 0.4 percent in February from January on a seasonally adjusted basis. Excluding food and energy, the core index for finished goods rose 0.2 percent. The monthly data can be volatile, but these growth rates are roughly in… Read More ›
Tag Archive for ‘ppi’
Producer Prices in January – Watch Gypsum
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released the Producer Price Indexes (PPI) for January on Thursday. The index for finished goods rose 0.1 percent in January from December, balancing a 0.4 percent increase in the core index and declines in the food (-0.3 percent) and energy (-0.5 percent) indexes, keeping the overall index in line with its relatively flat trajectory… Read More ›
Producer Prices in December – A Flat End to the Year
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released the Producer Price Indexes (PPI) for December today. The index for finished goods declined 0.1 percent in December from November after oscillating in a narrow range since May. The leveling off paralleled the flattening of energy prices after a sharp run-up earlier in the year. The PPI for material and supply inputs to… Read More ›
Residential Building Material Prices Show Modest Decline in November, But Pressure is Building for Sharp Increase in the New Year
Producer prices bounced back in November after easing the previous month. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported the producer price index for finished goods (PPI) advanced 0.3%, seasonally adjusted, in November on the back of a jump in food prices. Modest changes were observed for the energy and core indexes as both recorded a 0.1% increase. The finished goods index… Read More ›
Sharp Rise in Gypsum Prices Likely in New Year
Gypsum production is heavily dependent on construction industries. Approximately 90% of gypsum is used in the manufacture of wallboard for residential and non-residential building applications. A further 5% is used as an additive in cement production. The steep decline in the residential and non-residential building sectors over the past five years has greatly affected gypsum demand. Consumption of gypsum fell… Read More ›
Producer Price Index Returns to Upward Growth Path
Producer prices resumed their upward growth path in July. Although there was a further decline in energy prices, it was not enough to offset rising food and core producer prices. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the PPI for finished goods increased 0.2% (SA) on a month-to-month basis in July, with the food index rising 0.6% and the core… Read More ›
Producer Price Index Shifts Down as Energy Prices Ease (Finally!)
The Producer Price Index shifted down in June, as the recent decline in oil prices finally flowed through to producer prices. The Bureau of Labor Statistics release of the Producer Price Index (PPI) reported that the PPI for finished goods was 0.4% (SA) in June. Relief at last, following eleven consecutive monthly increases that have left the price index for… Read More ›