Producer Price Index Slips 0.4% in June

Prices paid to U.S. producers fell 0.4% in June, the Labor Department said Thursday.

The decline in the producer price index — which measures prices paid to factories, farmers and other producers — followed a 0.2% gain in May.

The core PPI, which excludes food and energy, rose 0.3%.

Economists had predicted a 0.2% decline in the PPI and a 0.2% gain in the core rate, Bloomberg reported.

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.