Wholesale prices rose a seasonally adjusted 0.2% in December, half of what Wall Street forecasters believe would jump while the rate for the core producer price index over the same period remained flat,

Wholesale prices rose less than expected in December, a positive sign for the economy amid recent market fears that inflation isn't falling as quickly as hoped to the Federal Reserve's 2% target.

U.S. PPI rose 0.2% in December, below forecasts, signaling easing wholesale inflation pressures. Core PPI was flat, raising optimism about cooling costs.