Prices Nudge Upward 1.1% in October

Electrical Marketing's EPI Index jumped 1.1%, in October, due in large part to increases in building wire and cable (+4.3%) and power cable (+1.9%). Over the past year, these product categories are up 10.9% and 15.6%, respectively. The telephone category was the only other product group (+1.1%) in this month's EPI that registered an increase of more than one percent.

Note: All EPI series represent Global Insight aggregates of Bureau of Labor Statistics' (BLS) producer price indices (PPIs). The revised data partly reflect redefinitions of specific PPIs by the BLS, but mostly reflect the rebenchmarking of all EPI price series to a 1997 base year. The four following EPI series have been affected by BLS redefinitions: boxes, conduit (fittings), non-metallic conduit, and generators. Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; Global Insight

Electrical Price Index — October, 2010

1997=100Oct.
2010Sept.
2010Oct.
2009% Change1 Mo.1 Yr.Building Wire & Cable 231.1 221.6 208.4 4.3 10.9 Power Wire & Cable 197.7 194 171.1 1.9 15.6 Telephone 165.2 163.4 156.3 1.1 5.7 Hand & Power Tools 116 116 115.5 0.0 0.4 Elec. Heating Equip. 124.4 124.3 124.5 0.1 -0.1 Residential Lighting 122.2 122.3 121.9 -0.1 0.3 Industrial Fixtures 117.8 117.5 118.6 0.2 -0.7 Fans & Blowers 133.7 133.9 132.3 -0.1 1.0 Wiring Devices & Connectors 121.3 120.5 118.6 0.7 2.3 Pole Line Hardware 145.1 144 140.5 0.7 3.2 Boxes 153 151.9 148.2 0.7 3.2 Conduit Fittings 124.7 124.6 124.3 0.1 0.3 Metal Conduit 162.5 162.3 161.6 0.1 0.6 Nonmetallic Conduit 131.7 131.4 130.5 0.2 0.9 Motors 137.6 137.5 132.1 0.1 4.2 Generators 133 132.8 129.4 0.2 2.8 Ballasts 137.7 137.7 137.7 0.0 0.0 Elect. Meas. & Integ. Inst. 111.2 111.1 111.2 0.0 0.0 Transformers 123.9 123 121.7 0.7 1.8 Panelboards & Switches 145.5 145.4 140.7 0.1 3.4 Circuit Breakers 152 152 147 0.1 3.4 Switchgear 156.1 155.6 154.8 0.3 0.8 Fuses 141.5 141.3 138.6 0.1 2.1 Industrial Controls 138.9 138.8 134.3 0.1 3.4 Lamps 121.7 121.7 119.6 0.0 1.8 Appliances 102.6 102.3 102.9 0.3 -0.3 Air Conditioners 121.2 120.8 122.1 0.3 -0.8 Fasteners 137.6 137.7 132 -0.1 4.2 Total Index 140.3 138.8 135.4 1.1 3.6