Actual | Previous | |
---|---|---|
IPPI - M/M | 1.6% | 0.2% |
IPPI - Y/Y | 5.8% | 4.1% |
Raw Materials Price Index - M/M | 3.7% | 1.3% |
Raw Materials Price Index - Y/Y | 11.8% | 9.1% |
Highlights
Statistics Canada did not single out the impact of the U.S. dollar on the IPPI's rise in this report.
Raw materials' prices jumped by 3.7 percent month over month in January and soared 11.8 percent year-over-year. This after rising by 1.3 percent and 9.1 percent, respectively, in December. Excluding crude energy products, prices of raw materials are up 1.6 percent in January following a 1.6 percent rise in December.
On a monthly basis, the faster pace of the January IPPI increase was mainly due to higher energy and petroleum products prices (+7 percent), with both finished motor gasoline (+5.4 percent) and diesel fuel (+9.4 percent) prices fueling the rise.
Excluding energy and petroleum products, the IPPI rose by 0.9 percent, after a 0.4 percent increase in December, and is up 6 percent from January 2024 (vs. a 5.1 percent jump on an annual basis in December).
It is worth noting that the year-over-year spike in the January IPPI was influenced by a base period effect. In January 2024, the IPPI was at its lowest level of 2024, as concerns about oil demand and high levels of supply led to relatively low prices for energy and petroleum products, StatsCan said.
Definition
Description
The IPPI and RMPI measure prices at the producer level before they are passed along to consumers. Since these indexes measure 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.
While the CPI is the price index with the most impact in setting interest rates, the PPI provides significant information earlier in the production process. As a starting point, interest rates have an"inflation premium" and components for risk factors. A lender will want the money paid back from a loan to at least have the same purchasing power as when loaned. The interest rate at a minimum equals the inflation rate to maintain purchasing power and this generally is based on the CPI. Changes in inflation lead to changes in interest rates and, in turn, in equity prices.
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 they taking a cut in profits. The ability to pass along price increases depends on the strength and competitiveness of the marketplace.