FIBER: Industrial Commodity Price Index is Little Changed in Latest Four Weeks
by:Tom Moeller
|in:Economy in Brief
Summary
- Crude oil prices fall sharply.
- Framing lumber costs surge.
- Metals prices strengthen.
The Industrial Materials Price Index from the Foundation for International Business and Economic Research (FIBER) slipped 0.3% during the four weeks ended October 17, 2025. The index remains down 0.8% y/y. Factory sector output rose 1.0% y/y through August.
Prices in the crude oil & benzene group declined 3.4% (-11.5% y/y) in the last four weeks. The cost of West Texas Intermediate crude oil fell 8.1% in four weeks to $58.47 per barrel and declined 19.0% y/y. The price roughly matched the $58.50 low in the second week of May. The price of the petro-chemical benzene weakened 1.3% (-19.9% y/y) in four weeks. Excluding crude oil & benzene, the industrial commodity price index rose 0.2% (0.4% y/y) over the last four weeks.
Miscellaneous group prices were off 1.4% (+0.2% y/y) in the last four weeks, although framing lumber prices increased 7.6% (18.0% y/y). The cost of tallow, used for frying & baking, declined 11.3% (+17.2% y/y). In four weeks, natural rubber prices declined 5.8% (-23.1% y/y).
Prices in the Textile group prices weakened 0.8% during the last four weeks, but improved 0.6% y/y. Cotton prices fell 5.3% and weakened 8.5% y/y. Offsetting this decline, the cost of burlap improved 0.7% in the last four weeks while surging 20.6% over the last year.
Metals group prices increased 3.4% (3.1% y/y) in the last four weeks as copper scrap prices improved 6.6% (11.9% y/y). Zinc prices strengthened 4.4% in four weeks (1.6% y/y). Steel scrap prices also rose 3.4% (-7.7% y/y) and tin prices increased 3.6% (10.3% y/y). Aluminum prices rose 2.3% (7.6% y/y) but lead prices eased 0.3% (-4.0% y/y) in four weeks.
The Foundation for International Business and Economic Research (FIBER) develops economic measurement techniques as applied to business cycles and inflation in the U.S. and other market economies. The commodity price data can be found in Haver's DAILY, WEEKLY, USECON and CMDTY databases.
Tom Moeller
AuthorMore in Author Profile »Prior to joining Haver Analytics in 2000, Mr. Moeller worked as the Economist at Chancellor Capital Management from 1985 to 1999. There, he developed comprehensive economic forecasts and interpreted economic data for equity and fixed income portfolio managers. Also at Chancellor, Mr. Moeller worked as an equity analyst and was responsible for researching and rating companies in the economically sensitive automobile and housing industries for investment in Chancellor’s equity portfolio. Prior to joining Chancellor, Mr. Moeller was an Economist at Citibank from 1979 to 1984. He also analyzed pricing behavior in the metals industry for the Council on Wage and Price Stability in Washington, D.C. In 1999, Mr. Moeller received the award for most accurate forecast from the Forecasters' Club of New York. From 1990 to 1992 he was President of the New York Association for Business Economists. Mr. Moeller earned an M.B.A. in Finance from Fordham University, where he graduated in 1987. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from George Washington University.
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