Producer Prices Rise 0.1%

Prices paid to U.S. producers rose 0.1% in January, the Labor Department said Thursday.

The producer price index gain followed a 0.1% decline in December. The core PPI, which excludes food and energy, rose 0.4%.

Analysts had projected the PPI to rise 0.4%, while the core rate rose more than expected, led by a surge in drug prices, Bloomberg reported.

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.