Washington, DC, March 22—-The producer price index rose 0.4 percent in February helped by a jump in energy prices, according to the Labor Department.
The core index, which excludes food and energy prices, was up 0.1 percent.
Economists were anticipating a 0.3 percent gain in the PPI and a 0.1 percent increase in the core index.
The PPI had increased 0.3 percent in January, with the core PPI shooting up 0.8 percent, the largest increase in six years.
In the past 12 months producer prices haves risen 4.7 percent. The core PPI for the same period is up 2.8 percent.
In February, energy prices increased 1.4 percent, including a 5.2 percent rise in gasoline. Consumer food prices increased 0.8 percent, including the largest rise in egg prices in four years.
Finished capital equipment prices fell 0.2 percent. Prices of consumer durables fell 0.5 percent. Light motor truck prices. fell 2.8 percent, the largest drop in two years. Passenger car prices dipped 0.9 percent.
