The March PPIs were mixed but in general slightly on the soft side of market forecasts.

Factory gate prices actually moved in line with expectations, a 0.2 percent monthly increase exactly matching the market consensus. The rise followed an unrevised 0.3 percent gain in February and lifted the annual inflation rate from 0.4 percent to a still subdued 0.6 percent. Alcohol and tobacco (2.2 percent) saw the steepest monthly advance ahead of chemicals and pharmaceuticals (0.7 percent). Coke and petroleum products (minus 0.2 percent) posted the largest fall. Consequently, core prices were up a larger monthly 0.3 percent but the underlying yearly rate still eased from 0.2 percent to just 0.1 percent.

At the same time, raw material and fuel costs surprised on the downside with a 0.1 percent monthly dip that reduced yearly inflation from an upwardly revised minus 2.2 percent to minus 2.5 percent. The monthly decline was again led by fuel (minus 3.6 percent) although imported food (minus 0.8 percent) also subtracted. On the upside, the steepest increase was in beverages and tobacco (1.0 percent).

Today's report provides some additional evidence that the worst of the downswing in manufacturing activity may be over. However, for now at least, pipeline inflation pressures remain subdued and of no concern for the BoE. Today's CPI and PPI updates lift the UK's RPI to 19 and the RPI-P to 18, both measures showing overall economic activity running slightly ahead of market forecasts.

Both input costs and output prices are expected to post small gains in March, the former seen up 0.1 percent on the month and the latter 0.2 percent.

The Producer Price Index (PPI) measures the prices of goods bought and sold by manufacturers. The input price index measure the prices of materials and fuels purchased by manufacturers for processing. These are not limited to just those materials used in the final product, but also include what is required by the company in its normal day-to-day running. The output price index captures prices charged by manufacturers as they pass through the factory gate and excludes any VAT or similar deductible tax. Both measures may be seen as leading indicators of consumer price index (CPI) inflation although the short-term correlation is only very weak.

The PPI measures prices at the producer level before they are passed along to consumers. Since the producer price index measures prices of consumer goods and capital equipment, a portion of the inflation at the producer level gets passed through to the consumer price index (CPI). By tracking price pressures in the pipeline, investors can anticipate inflationary consequences in coming months. A producer's price is the amount received by a producer from the purchaser of a unit of goods or services produced as output less any value added tax (VAT) or similar deductible tax, invoiced to the purchaser. It excludes any transportation charges invoiced separately by the producer.

The PPI provides a key measure of inflation alongside the consumer price indexes and GDP deflators. The output price indexes measure change in manufacturer' goods prices produced and often are referred to as factory gate prices. Input prices are not limited to just those materials used in the final product, but also include what is required by the company in its normal day-to-day operations.

The PPI is considered a precursor of both consumer price inflation and profits. If the prices paid to manufacturers increase, businesses are faced with either charging higher prices or taking a cut in profits. The ability to pass along price increases depends on the strength and competitiveness of the marketplace.

The bond market rallies when the PPI decreases or posts only small increases, but bond prices fall when the PPI posts larger-than-expected gains. The equity market rallies with the bond market because low inflation promises low interest rates and is good for profits.