Washington, August 13--Producers prices increased a moderate 0.1 percent in July, the Labor Department estimated Friday.
The U.S. producer price index is up 4 percent in the past 12 months, the same rate as in June.
Core prices - which exclude volatile food and energy prices - also rose 0.1 percent in July. It was the slowest gain in the core PPI since February
The core PPI is up 1.7 percent in the past 12 months, down from 1.8 percent in June.
Economists surveyed by CBS MarketWatch were expecting the PPI to rise 0.2 percent and the core PPI to rise 0.1 percent. In June, the PPI fell 0.3 percent while the core rate rose 0.2 percent.
Energy prices rose 2.3 percent in July after falling 1.6 percent in June. Wholesale gasoline prices increased 5.4 percent. Food prices fell 1.6 percent in July after dropping 0.6 percent in June.
Finished capital goods prices and finished consumer goods prices both increased 0.1 percent in July. Passenger car prices fell 0.4 percent. Beef and veal prices tumbled 8.3 percent, while dairy prices slipped 6.2 percent.
