January 14, 2025 14:50 GMT
US DATA: Sequential Producer Prices On The Low Side, Core Momentum Soft
US DATA
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December's PPI report showed softer sequential price pressures than had been expected: headline final demand PPI came in at 0.2% M/M (0.4% expected, 0.4% prior), with the "core" ex-food/energy/trade category printing 0.1% (0.3% expected, 0.1% prior). From a broader perspective for this volatile series, pipeline inflation remains uncomfortably elevated. But this was not a particularly worrisome report in its own right and core PPI - while still elevated - does not appear to be accelerating.
- This left the Y/Y figures higher vs November but lower than expected: headline at a 22-month high 3.3% (3.5% expected, 3.0% prior), with ex-food/energy/trade actually decelerating to 3.3% (no consensus, 3.5% prior).
- So on the one hand, headline PPI has been steadily accelerating Y/Y since bottoming at 0.8% in Nov 2023 and is now at a 22-month high, but Core PPI prices have settling in at above 3.0% Y/Y, where it has been for 9 consecutive months. That lends further credence to the idea that the prolonged period of Y/Y core goods deflation is over - but likewise there are no obvious signs of a pronounced resurgence in pipeline inflation outside of food and energy.
- Indeed, as the headline figures suggest, food (+6.4% Y/Y after +6.7%) and energy (-2.0% Y/Y after -6.1%) prices have been more inflationary/less deflationary, respectively, on an annual basis.
- But we interpret the "core" reading to imply that pipeline price momentum has continued to slow: at 1.9%, the 3-month annualized moving average fell to 1.9% from 2.1% prior, well down from over 5% earlier in 2024 for the lowest since December 2023. The 6-month m.a. likewise pulled back to the softest since November 2023.
- For the two major subcategories of final demand PPI, services inflation was flat, vs 0.3% M/M prior for the weakest since July, while goods inflation came in at 0.6% (after 0.7%).
- As we noted separately following the release, the PCE-relevant categories were mixed, with a jump in airfares the standout but fairly benign readings in other areas.
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