The producer price index for final demand was up 0.2% month ... coming in below the expected 3.8% growth. Below is a chart of the historical series with a callout to the most recent 12 months.

A column chart titled "Monthly change in US Producer Price Index" that tracks the metric over the past year. Input prices rose 0.2% in December. Stocks on Wall Street were trading mostly lower.

Inflation barometer The Labor Department releases its producer price index for December on Tuesday. The index measures inflation at the wholesale level, before businesses pass costs on to consumers.

The Labor Department reported Tuesday that its producer price index — which tracks inflation before it hits consumers — rose 0.2% last month from November, down from a 0.4% gain the month before.

The Producer Price Index for final demand advanced 0.2 percent while the consensus ahead of the release was a rise of 0.4 percent. Final demand prices rose 0.4 percent in November and 0.2 percent ...