AlHijjah 19, 1432, Nov 15, 2011, SPA -- U.S. companies paid less in October for gasoline, new cars, and other goods, driving down wholesale prices for the first time since June, the government said Tuesday in a report that indicates inflation pressures are easing as the cost of oil and other commodities has declined. The Labor Department said its Producer Price Index (PPI), which measures prices changes before they reach the consumer, fell 0.3 percent last month after rising 0.8 percent in September. Excluding volatile energy and food prices, the core PPI was unchanged for the first time in 11 months. Dropping energy prices led the overall decline in October. Wholesale gasoline prices fell 2.4 percent, while home heating oil fell 6 percent, the biggest drop in more than a year. Food prices rose 0.1 percent following four consecutive months of much bigger increases.
