U.S. Producer Prices Jump 0.5% In May, Led By Energy, Eggs

U.S. producer prices prices rose a seasonally adjusted 0.5% in May, driven by a sharp uptick in the wholesale cost of gasoline and other fuels. That matched the MarketWatch forecast of economists. The increase in the producer price index, the largest since September 2012, was the second in three months following four straight declines. The price of goods rose 1.3%, while services were unchanged, the Labor Department said Friday. Yet even with the advance in May, producer prices over the past 12 months are 1.1% lower. Excluding the volatile categories of food, energy and trade, core prices fell 0.1%. The core rate has risen 0.6% in the last 12 months.