Declining Food Costs Linked to Drop in Producer Price Index
The price of food surged over the last year but there is a sliver hope that rates could be on the downswing. Marty Cantor, CPA and economic development consultant, joined Cheddar News to provide some insights into declining food prices and whether or not consumers should expect them to climb again. "A big component of the producer price index is gasoline -- transportation -- but that's coming down. But that could turn around because oil prices are now up," he said. "The producer price index is the final prices for goods and services that a retailer will have to pay and then the retailer, in turn, will put their profit margin on it and sell it to you as a consumer and that's the consumer price index."
Ahead of the release of October's consumer inflation data Tuesday, you may notice changes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. When it comes to how it estimates health insurance costs, the move is expected to give a boost to the U.S. inflation measure which will reverse a trend that has provided some relief.
A handful of retailers will report earnings this week, including Home Depot, Target, Walmart and Macy's, as gas prices peaked in September to the end of this latest quarter while borrowing costs remain at their highest levels in decades.
