Consumer, Producer Prices Rose in March: U.S. Economy Preview

Rising oil costs probably led a jump in consumer and wholesale prices last month, feeding concern that the economic expansion will slow, economists said in advance of reports this week.

The consumer price index likely increased 0.5 percent in March, the most in five months, after rising 0.4 percent in February, according to the median forecast in a Bloomberg News survey before the Labor Department’s report April 20. The producer price index, which will be issued April 19, probably rose 0.6 percent, matching the biggest gain since October.