The prices of building materials decreased 0.2% in October (not seasonally adjusted) following a 0.5% decline in September according to the latest Producer Price Index (PPI) report. The index has decreased four of five months for the first time since 2015. The PPI for goods inputs to residential construction, including energy, was led 0.2% higher by prices of diesel fuel (+9.5%) and unleaded gasoline (+5.7%).

The price index of services inputs to residential construction decreased 0.7% in October, the seventh consecutive monthly decline. Prices have fallen a total of 14% since the index last increased in March 2022 and are just 1.4% higher than they were a year ago.

Softwood Lumber

The PPI for softwood lumber (seasonally adjusted) fell 1.7% in October following 5.5% and 3.1% declines in August and September, respectively. Softwood lumber prices are 4.4% higher than they were a year ago but have fallen 41.3% since March. The index remains 3.0% above pre-pandemic levels.

Steel Mill Products

Steel mill products prices decreased 6.6% in October and have fallen 21.6% since May 2022.  The index is at its lowest level since May 2021 after five straight monthly declines, each of which has been larger than the last.

Ready-Mix Concrete

The PPI for ready-mix concrete (RMC) increased 0.4% in October but, similar to steel mill products, the pace of increases has slowed each of the past three months. The index has climbed 9.1%, year-to-date, the largest October YTD increase in the series’ 34-year history.

The monthly increase in the national data was entirely driven by a 2.0% price increase in the Northeast region. Prices declined in the Midwest (-0.4%) and South (-0.3%) and were unchanged in the West.

Gypsum Building Materials

The PPI for gypsum building materials edged 0.2% lower in October—just the second monthly decrease since September 2020. The index is 45.6% higher than its January 2020 level.

Transportation of Freight

The price of truck, rail, and ocean transportation of freight each decreased in October. Trucking freight prices fell 1.4%–the fifth consecutive decline—while the indexes for rail and deep sea transportation of freight decreased 0.7% and 1.8%, respectively. Year-to-date, the prices of ocean, rail, and truck freight transportation have increased 25.2%, 6.5%, and 6.0%.

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