MW: Producer prices fall 0.4% in September, energy prices down
By Ruth Mantell
WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) -- U.S. producer prices fell 0.4% in September - the second consecutive month of declines -- as energy prices dropped and food prices rose, the Labor Department reported Wednesday. Excluding food and energy, core producer prices rose 0.4% last month. Analysts polled by MarketWatch were looking for a decrease of 0.6% in overall PPI, and a 0.2% increase in the core rate. Producer prices are up 8.7% over the past 12 months. Prices for crude core goods fell a record 9.4% in September, compared with the previous record drop of 7.7% in 1974. In August, overall producer prices fell 0.9%, while the core gained 0.2%.
