U.S. Producer Prices Up 0.2% In July

U.S. producer prices moderated in July, rising a seasonally adjusted 0.2% after a 0.4% gain in the prior month, the Labor Department said Friday. Economists polled by MarketWatch had predicted a 0.1% rise in the PPI. Excluding the volatile categories of trade margins, food and energy, core wholesale prices rose 0.2% after a 0.3% gain in June. The prices of goods fell 0.1% while services rose 0.4%, the biggest gain since last October. Over the past 12 months, producer prices are 0.8% lower. The core rate has risen 0.9% over the last 12 months.