The US August PPI Unexpectedly Decreases, Reinforcing the Fed's Justification for Rate Cuts

BlockBeats News, September 10th, the U.S. producer price index unexpectedly dropped in August, marking the first decline in four months, further reinforcing the rationale for the Fed's interest rate cut. According to a report released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics on Wednesday, the Producer Price Index (PPI) fell by 0.1% month-on-month, with the July data being revised down. Year-on-year, the PPI rose by 2.6%. The report indicates that despite Trump's tariff policy raising business costs, companies avoided significant price hikes last month. While this decline followed a sharp increase in July, many businesses are concerned that substantial price increases could deter customers amid ongoing economic uncertainty affecting consumer decisions. Excluding food and energy, commodity prices rose by 0.3%; service costs fell by 0.2%. In the service sector, wholesaler and retailer profit margins declined by 1.7%, marking the largest drop in over a year. Profit margins have fluctuated significantly month-to-month this year, highlighting the uncertainty of trade policy's impact on prices and demand. (FXStreet)