By Greg Robb
WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) - Wholesale prices rose 1.1% in September after seasonable adjustments, led by a strong gain in energy prices, the Labor Department reported Friday. The producer price index has risen 2.1% in the past year, the government said. Energy prices advanced 4.7% in September after rising 6.4% in August. Food prices rose 0.2%, the fourth consecutive increase. The core PPI - which excludes food and energy prices - was flat in September, less than expected. Core prices are up 2.3% in the past year. Economists surveyed by MarketWatch expected a 1.0% rise in the headline PPI and a 0.2% increase in the core rate. The PPI had risen 1.7% in August, while the core rate was up 0.2%.
