EPI Index Sags Again in July

In another sign pointing to the sluggish state of the economic recovery, none of the product categories in Electrical Marketing’s Electrical Price Index (EPI) increased in July 2012 over the previous month. Pricing in several categories continued to decrease YTY, including building wire & cable (-12.9%); power cable (-1.9%); ballasts (-1.5%); and telephone equipment (-1.4%). Note: All EPI series represent Global Insight 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 1997 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; Global Insight