The US producer price index remained unchanged from January's figure

In February, wholesale inflation in the US halted its growth, influenced by a sharp decline in company profit margins. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Producer Price Index (PPI) was unchanged from January's 0.6% reading. Despite this, producer prices for some categories of goods showed a slight increase. When excluding food and energy, the index fell for the first time since July.

The index was impacted by a 1% drop in earnings in the trade services sector, driven by changes in markups at wholesale and retail. Meanwhile, sectors reflected by the Core Personal Consumption Expenditures index, which is monitored by the Federal Reserve, exhibited steady growth.

Analysts at Pantheon Macroeconomics note that lower trade markups may temporarily shield consumers from rising producer prices. According to experts, due to declining confidence in the economy, consumer demand for goods is expected to decrease by the end of the year, prompting retailers to operate with lower margins.