Recent Updates
- Japan: NCI Economic Activity Index (Aug)
- US: NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (Aug)
- Canada: Wholesale trade, MSIO (June)
- Pakistan: Foreign Currency Deposits and Utilization (JUL)
- US: Empire State Mfg Survey (Aug)
- more updates...
Economy in Brief
U.S. Housing Affordability Declines Further in June
The NAR Fixed Rate Mortgage Housing Affordability Index fell 3.6% in June...
EMU Output Makes Solid Gain in June
The European Monetary Union posted a 0.7% increase for industrial output in June...
U.S. Producer Prices Fall During July; Core Increase Weakens
The Producer Price Index for Final Demand fell 0.5% during July...
U.S. Unemployment Claims Continue on an Uptrend
Initial claims for unemployment insurance filed in the week ended August 6 rose 14,000 to 262,000...
RICS Survey Points to More U.K. Housing Sector Weakness
The survey of housing market conditions in the U.K. continues to show strength in prices versus weakness...
Viewpoints
Commentaries are the opinions of the author and do not reflect the views of Haver Analytics.
by Tom Moeller November 15, 2005
The overall Producer Price Index rose another 0.7% last month on top of the 1.9% September spike. The latest by far exceeded Consensus expectations for no change in prices.
The strength last month was led by a 12.3% (50.4% y/y) rise in home heating oil prices and a 12.7% (38.9% y/y) jump in natural gas which more than offset the 3.3% (+40.3% y/y) decline in gasoline.
Price inflation at the so called "core" level nevertheless eased a bit last month as a 0.3% decline in prices less food & energy reversed all of the prior month's gain. Consensus expectations for a 0.2% increase.
Core finished consumer goods prices fell 0.2% (+2.0% y/y). Durable goods prices dropped 0.9% (+0.2% y/y) led by a 3.0% (-2.1% y/y) decline in passenger car prices as well as weakness in prices for home electronics (-2.0% y/y), carpets (+6.1% y/y) and home appliances (+1.7% y/y). Core consumer nondurable goods prices rose 0.2% (3.5% y/y) for the second consecutive month.
"Spillover" effects from the past strength in oil prices continued to be evident at the earlier stages of processing. Intermediate goods prices jumped 3.0% on top of the 2.5% September surge while core intermediate goods prices repeated their 1.2% spike of the prior month.
Crude energy prices gained 12.4% (69.4% y/y) as natural gas prices soared an unadjusted 20.3% (120.4% y/y). The gain lifted overall crude prices 6.7% though core crude prices reversed some of their September strength with a 1.2% decline. During the last thirty years "core" crude prices have been a fair indicator of industrial sector activity with a 48% correlation between the six month change in core crude prices and the change in factory sector industrial production.
Producer Price Index | Oct | Sept | Y/Y | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Finished Goods | 0.7% | 1.9% | 5.9% | 3.6% | 3.2% | -1.3% |
Core | -0.3% | 0.3% | 2.0% | 1.5% | 0.2% | 0.1% |
Intermediate Goods | 3.0% | 2.5% | 10.5% | 6.6% | 4.6% | -1.5% |
Core | 1.2% | 1.2% | 4.3% | 5.7% | 2.0% | -0.5% |
Crude Goods | 6.7% | 10.2% | 31.5% | 17.5% | 25.1% | -10.6% |
Core | -1.2% | 5.3% | 0.9% | 26.6% | 12.4% | 3.8% |