PPI Rises 0.1% in August; Core Declines

he producer price index rose 0.1% in August, the Labor Department reported Tuesday, while the "core" PPI rate excluding food and energy declined 0.4%.

he reading of wholesale prices paid to factories, farmers and other producers matched a 0.1% increase in July.

The drop in core prices follows a 0.3% decline in July and marks the first time since the end of 2002 that the core rate has fallen for two straight months, Bloomberg said.

An increase in the PPI could indicate strong demand for goods, which would mean more shipments for trucking companies. However, if inflation begins to accelerate too quickly, it could also hurt the economy.