Theproducer price index(PPI) for finished goods fell 0.2% in October, not seasonally adjusted (also -0.2%, seasonally adjusted) and rose 2.3% over 12 months, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported on Wednesday. ThePPI for inputs to construction- a weighted average of the cost of all materials used in construction plus items consumed by contractors such as diesel fuel-decreased 0.4% for the month, after climbing 0.9% for two consecutive months.
Prices for key construction inputshave moved sharply in both directions since PPI data was gathered in mid-October. Scrap steel prices have climbed and steel makers have responded with numerous price increase announcements.
In other news, thevalue of nonresidential construction startsin October jumped 20% from a year earlier,Reed Construction Datareported, based on data it collected. Starts for the first 10 months of 2012 combined rose 10.5% from the same period in 2011. Nonresidential building starts climbed 8.7% year-to-date, with gains of 17.5% for commercial starts; industrial (manufacturing) starts, 12.5%; and institutional starts, 3.0%. Heavy engineering (nonbuilding) starts rose 13%.
For more information, view the October PPI tablehere.
Source: AGC of America
