Como se combate o populismo? "Com eleições", responde Fukuyama

[Info....]

8:30am 10/18/05 U.S. SEPT. CORE INTERMEDIATE PPI UP 3.5% Y-O-Y
8:30am 10/18/05 U.S. SEPT. PPI ENERGY UP 7.1%, 15-YEAR HIGH
8:30am 10/18/05 U.S. SEPT. CRUDE PPI UP 10.2%
8:30am 10/18/05 U.S. SEPT. INTERMEDIATE PPI UP 2.5%, MOST IN 31 YEARS
8:30am 10/18/05 U.S. CORE PPI UP 2.6% YEAR-ON-YEAR
8:30am 10/18/05 U.S. PPI UP 6.9% YEAR-ON-YEAR, MOST IN 15 YEARS
8:30am 10/18/05 LARGEST GAIN IN PPI IN 31 YEARS
8:30am 10/18/05 U.S. SEPT. CORE PPI UP 0.3% VS. 0.2% EXPECTED
8:30am 10/18/05 U.S. SEPT. PPI UP 1.9% VS. 1.2% EXPECTED

ECONOMIC REPORT: PPI surges 1.9%, most since 1974
By Rex Nutting, MarketWatch
Last Update: 8:30 AM ET Oct. 18, 2005

WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) - U.S. wholesale prices rose 1.9% in September, the biggest jump in 31 years, the Labor Department said Tuesday.

Price increases were led by a 7.1% rise in wholesale energy prices, the biggest jump in 15 years. Food prices also soared, rising 1.4% on a record 49% increase in egg prices.

The producer price index for finished goods has increased 6.9% in the past 12 months, the fastest rise in prices in 15 years and nearly double the rate seen in June.

Core prices, which exclude food and energy, increased 0.3% as prices for capital goods increased 0.3%. Car prices increased 0.9% and truck prices climbed 1%.

The core rate is up 2.6% in the past year, down from 2.8% in August.

The PPI data come days after the Labor Department said consumer prices increased 1.2% in September on higher energy prices, which peaked in September after two devastating hurricanes disrupted much of the oil and gas production and distribution in the Gulf Coast region.

Prices for crude oil and gasoline have since retreated, but natural gas prices have remained high.

The PPI and CPI data are likely to keep the Federal Reserve on track to raise short-term interest rates at the Nov. 1 meeting and in December as well. Fed officials have said they'll have to raise rates to battle inflation, trusting that economic growth will reaccelerate next year.

Price pressures were mounting further back in the production pipeline as well. The hurricanes cut production of chemicals and lumber products and disrupted transportation for all kinds of heavy goods such as steel.

The storms also boosted demand for building materials.

Prices of intermediate goods destined for further production before final sale increased 2.5% in September, the biggest increase since August 1974.

Core intermediate goods prices increased 1.2% as building materials, chemicals and metals jumped in price. It's the largest gain the core intermediate PPI in 25 years. The year-over-year increase in the core intermediate rose to 3.5% in September from 3.2% in August.

Price of crude goods rose 10.2% in September, including a 16.9% rise in energy materials. Natural gas prices jumped 30.7%. Basic industrial materials prices rose 5.3%, with iron and steel scrap prices rising 22.8%.