Producer Prices Tick Up in October

Washington, DC, Nov. 18, 2014 -- The producer price index increased a seasonally adjusted 0.2% in October from a month earlier, the Labor Department said.

The index had fallen 0.1% in September and economists were expecting another 0.1% decline in October.

The October increase was largely due to a 1.5% gain in the volatile trade services component, which captures changes in margins received by wholesalers and retailers. Energy prices fell 3%.

Stripping out food and energy, producer prices rose 0.4%.