EPI Undex Up a Half-Percent in February

Power cable led the charge again in EM's Electrical Price Index, rising 2.8% in February and sitting 16.2% YTY from Feb. 2010. Other product categories up more than one percent for the month were building wire (+1.1%); telephone supplies (+1.5%); fans and blowers (+1.3%). Air conditioning equipment saw the biggest price decline, dropping 3.2%.

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), nonmetallic conduit, and generators. Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; Global Insight

Electrical Price Index — February 2011

FebJanFeb% Change1997=1002011201020101 Mo.1 Yr.Building Wire & Cable 238.7 236 221.3 1.1 7.8 Power Wire & Cable 215.7 209.8 185.6 2.8 16.2 Telephone 173 170.4 160.3 1.5 7.9 Hand & Power Tools 116.2 116 115.6 0.1 0.5 Elec. Heating Equip. 124.9 124.7 124.5 0.2 0.4 Residential Lighting 122.2 122.2 120.6 0.0 1.3 Industrial Fixtures 118.6 118.1 117.1 0.4 1.3 Fans & Blowers 136.3 134.5 132.8 1.3 2.6 Wiring Devices & Connectors 122.6 121.5 119.1 0.9 2.9 Pole Line Hardware 148.3 147.2 142.5 0.8 4.1 Boxes 156.5 155.2 150.3 0.8 4.1 Conduit Fittings 125 124.9 124.5 0.1 0.4 Metal Conduit 163.1 162.9 162 0.1 0.7 Nonmetallic Conduit 132.6 132.3 131 0.2 1.2 Motors 141.7 141.4 132.1 0.2 7.3 Generators 135.7 135.7 129.3 0.0 5.0 Ballasts 137.7 137.7 137.7 0.0 0.0 Elect. Meas. & Integ. Inst. 111.2 111.2 111.2 0.0 0.0 Transformers 125.5 125.2 122 0.2 2.8 Panelboards & Switches 148.3 147.2 144 0.8 3.0 Circuit Breakers 155 153.8 150.4 0.8 3.0 Switchgear 155.6 155.2 154 0.3 1.0 Fuses 142.8 142 139.9 0.5 2.1 Industrial Controls 141.6 140.5 137.4 0.8 3.0 Lamps 121.7 121.7 120.4 0.0 1.1 Appliances 103.4 102.8 102.6 0.6 0.8 Air Conditioners 116.1 119.9 119.9 -3.2 -3.2 Fasteners 136.3 137.3 131.8 -0.7 3.4 Total Index 142.4 141.7 137.7 0.5 3.4