U.S. producer prices flat in March; core up 0.3%

WASHINGTON (MarketWatch)
U.S. wholesale prices were unchanged in March as a recent surge in energy prices was mostly reversed, the Labor Department said Thursday
Excluding the volatile categories of food and energy, core wholesale prices rose a seasonally adjusted 0.3%
Economists surveyed by MarketWatch had predicted a 0.1% decrease in the overall producer price index and a 0.2% rise in core PPI
Energy prices fell 1.0% last month, led by a sharp reduction in gas
The wholesale cost of food, however, rose 0.2% to mark the first increase in five months
Over the past year wholesale prices have risen an unadjusted 2.8%, the smallest year-over-year increase since June 2010