By Jeffry Bartash
WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) - U.S. wholesale prices rose a seasonally adjusted 0.7% in March, continuing an upward trajectory, according to the latest government data. The core rate, which excludes the volatile food and energy categories, rose a smaller 0.3%. Economists surveyed by MarketWatch had predicted a 0.8 % increase in overall producer prices and a 0.2% rise in the core rate. Wholesale prices have risen 5.8% over the past year on unadjusted basis, the Labor Department reported. Energy costs rose 2.6% in March, but wholesale food prices fell 0.2%, the first decline in seven months. Core intermediate prices, viewed as a leading indicator of inflation, jumped 0.9% last month. Prices for crude goods fell 0.5% in March.
