Producer Price Index, Core Rate Gain

Prices paid to U.S. producers rose 0.2% in April, the Labor Department said Tuesday.

The core producer price index, which excludes food and energy, rose 0.4%, Labor said.

Economists had forecast a 0.4% increase in the overall rate and a 0.2% core gain, Bloomberg reported.

The PPI rose 0.2% in March.

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.