Posted on 12/11/2004 4:21:55 PM PST by jb6
(AP) Wholesale prices climbed by 0.5 percent in November — an improvement compared with the previous month's surge, but still fresh evidence that inflation is picking up as the economy gains momentum.
The increase in the producer price index, reported by the Labor Department on Friday, came after wholesale prices shot up by 1.7 percent in October, the biggest rise in more than 14 years.
"Inflation pressures are mounting in the U.S. economy," said Sherry Cooper, chief economist at BMO Nesbitt Burns.
The reading in November on the PPI, which measures the costs of goods before they reach store shelves, showed a larger advance than the tiny 0.1 percent rise that economists were forecasting. A big jump in residential natural gas prices along with some food products, such as fish, played a big role in lifting overall wholesale prices last month.
On Wall Street, the inflation report helped to pull stocks lower. The Dow Jones industrials were off 22 points and the Nasdaq was down 4 points in morning trading.
Excluding energy and food costs, which can swing widely from month-to-month, "core" wholesale prices rose by just 0.2 percent in November, the smallest increase in four months.
The latest snapshot of inflation added to the case that Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan and his colleagues will raise short-term interest rates again next week.
Wanting to make sure inflation doesn't become a danger to the economy, the Federal Reserve has boosted short-term interest rates four times this year. Analysts expect another quarter-point rate increase when the Fed meets on Tuesday. Such a move would leave a key rate at 2.25 percent.
The economy's soft patch in the spring and early summer had helped to keep wholesale prices relatively well behaved. Now with the economy expanding solidly, inflation probably will pick up as well, economists said. A weaker U.S. dollar also can put pressure on prices of imported goods, which gives U.S. producers more room to raise prices.
"Some measure of pricing power has returned to the industrial arena, and the determining factor has been the declining dollar," said Ken Mayland, president of ClearView Economics.
In November, energy prices rose by 1.8 percent, following a jump of 6.8 percent in October. Last month's increase was led by a 6.2 percent rise in residential natural gas prices, the biggest gain since March 2003. Residential electric power prices and costs for liquefied petroleum gas, such as propane, also went up. But prices for gasoline and home-heating oil both declined.
Oil prices, which hit a record high of just over $55 a barrel in late October, have moderated, helping to provide some price relief. Oil prices are now hovering at more than $42 a barrel.
Food prices, meanwhile, rose by 0.4 percent in November. That was down from a 1.6 percent advance in October as hurricanes that ripped through the Southeast disrupted supplies.
In November, fish and shellfish prices went up by 8.4 percent, the most since April 2003. Dairy products rose by 1.8 percent, the largest since May. Vegetable prices increased 4.4 percent, while fruit prices plunged by 17 percent.
Elsewhere in the report: prices for household furniture last month rose 1.1 percent, the most since October 1993. Prices for passenger cars went up 0.6 percent, while costs for light motor trucks fell by 0.5 percent. Costs for computers dropped by 3.1 percent, the steepest decline since February 2003.
Separately, consumer confidence rose despite the pickup in inflation.
The AP-Ipsos consumer confidence index rose to 93.9 in early December, compared with a reading of 89.8 in November. It marked the first monthly gain since the index hit 104.8 in August, which had been the highest reading since January.
©MMIV The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
This should be good news for the dollar in the markets next week. Do I hear selloff?
I think that inflation in food, housing, and energy is much higher than the overall rate, and has been for a long time.
As far as I'm concerned they've been lying about the inflation figures all along. Prices have skyrocketed where I live the past year.
The report is already obsolete. Both Oil & natural gas prices are now tumbling.
The housing inflation has not much to do with cost of everyday items such as food & energy. The house prices are escalating because the interest rates are near 40 year low, and more people can afford to buy and qualify at the low rates.
And this has created a housing bubble where everyone is getting on the bandwagon since their friends and brother-in-laws are befitting from the windfall profits. In our 5 year old sub-division, the prices have appreciated 50%.
As far as I am concerned prices went through the roof during the 90s. Bread went from 79 cents a loaf to 1.79-1.99 a loaf. Beef went 4.00 to 6.00 dollars a pound and on and on. Then they said it was a good economy. Huh? I don't see much change except for gasoline and heating fuel, but, they fluctuate all the time.
Shop at Walmart, and buy generic brands.
The myth that economic growth causes inflation will never die.
Didn't help that I spent half the year unemployed. God, why did I ever go into tech in the first place. I should have gone with insurance sales after the Army (well my first stint on active duty) when I had the chance.
Yup, it's the new American economy, buy cheap foreign crap and eat crap food, and maybe, just maybe you can continue to make ends meet while the Fed keeps telling you you're richer then you ever were. Suuuure.
I've an idea for the fed, stop printing debt. And an idea for those so called republicans I helped elect, stop driving us into debt, stop giving away our jobs with open borders and no penalties on tech transfers. I hated the Cold War, but at least during the Cold War tech transfer was all but illegal and somehow we didn't go broke without free trade, go figure.
Maybe you go to a rare conservative school, but why do you want to give them your money at those prices? The world is full of successful college dropouts.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.