Electrical Marketing's Electrical Price Index (EPI) fell 0.3 percent for May. The index posted price gains in nine categories and decreases in 13; six product categories held steady this time.
Power wire and cable posted the biggest gain (1.4 percent) followed by lamps (1.0 percent). Ballasts posted the biggest decrease (4.6 percent) followed by building wire and cable (3.4 percent).
Note: All EPI series represent DRI/WEFA aggregates of Bureau of Labor Statistics' (BLS) producer price indices (PPIs). The revised data partly reflect redefinitions of specific PPIs by the BLS, but mostly reflect the rebenchmarking of all EPI price series to a 1987 base year. The four following EPI series have been affected by BLS redefinitions: boxes, conduit (fittings), nonmetallic conduit, and generators. Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; DRI McGraw-Hill Economics.