Wholesale prices post unexpected decline of 0.1% in February; retail sales fall

Wholesale prices posted an unexpected decline in February, providing some encouraging news on inflation as the Federal Reserve weighs its next move on interest rates.

The producer price index fell 0.1% for the month, against the Dow Jones estimate for a 0.3% increase and compared to a 0.3% gain in January. On a 12-month basis, the index increased 4.6%, well below the downwardly revised 5.7% level from the previous month.

Excluding food, energy and trade, the index rose 0.2%, down from the 0.5% gain in January. On an annual basis, that reading was up 4.4%, the same as in January.

Source:CNBC