August PPI climbs as energy costs push wholesale inflation higher

U.S. producer prices rose 5.4% year over year in August and 0.4% month over month, with goods up 1.1% and energy surging 4.2% as Brent crude topped $105, signaling persistent inflation pressures and raising odds of a Federal Reserve rate increase before year-end; core PPI rose 4.6% YoY, and investors await Friday’s CPI data, which economists expect to show a slower annual rise but a 0.4% monthly gain, as electronics costs also rose.