U.S. wholesale inflation accelerated in November, a sign that some price pressures remain
LA TimesWholesale costs in the United States picked up sharply last month, signaling that price pressures are still evident in the economy even though inflation has tumbled from the peak levels it hit more than two years ago. The Labor Department reported Thursday that its producer price index — which tracks inflation before it reaches consumers — rose 0.4% last month from October, up from 0.3% the month before. The wholesale price report comes a day after the government reported that consumer prices rose 2.7% in November from a year earlier, up from an annual gain of 2.6% in October. Despite the modest upticks in inflation last month, the Federal Reserve is poised to cut its benchmark interest rate next week for a third consecutive time. Economists Despite the overall uptick in producer prices, Paul Ashworth of Capital Economics noted in a commentary that the components that feed into the PCE index were “universally weak” in November and make it even more likely that the Fed will cut its benchmark rate next week.