The preliminary value for the September 2015 CE Plant Cost Index (CEPCI; the most recent available) once again fell compared to the previous month’s value, driven by declines in Equipment producer prices, as well as drops in the Buildings and Construction Labor subindices. The September CEPCI value is 5.1% lower than the corresponding value from a year ago at the same time. This represents continued growth of the year-to-year differential over the past several months. Meanwhile, the latest Current Business Indicators (CBI) numbers showed a small decrease in the CPI output index and in producer prices. All indicators fell in October, except for the CPI operating rate, which ticked upward.
Current Economic Trends
| By Scott Jenkins