Full text of U.S. Financial Data : September 14, 2000

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September 14, 2000

USFinancialData
THE WEEK’S HIGHLIGHTS:
■ The producer price index (PPI) for finished goods fell 0.2 percent in
August, or 2.6 percent at an annual rate. Excluding food and energy
prices, the PPI rose at a 0.8 percent rate in August. After rising
2.9 percent in 1999 (December-to-December), the PPI has increased
at a 3.2 percent rate thus far in 2000. Excluding food and energy
prices, the PPI has risen at a 1 percent rate year-to-date, slightly
faster than the 0.8 percent rise posted in 1999.
■ According to the advance estimate, the nominal value of retail sales
increased at a 2 percent annual rate in August. Excluding automotive
sales, retail sales rose at a 4.2 percent rate in August. The report
also showed that July’s total sales increase was revised up from a
9.3 percent rate to a 10.8 percent rate. Likewise, growth of nonauto
sales in July were revised upward from 7.7 percent to 9.7 percent.
■ The index of U.S. import prices rose 0.2 percent in August, or
2.4 percent at an annual rate, after no increase in July. Total
U.S. import prices have risen at a 4.7 percent rate year-to-date,
an appreciable step-down from the 7.1 percent increase registered
in 1999. Import prices are not seasonally adjusted.
■ The U.S. current account deficit totaled $106.1 billion during the
second quarter, an increase (in absolute value terms) of $4.6 billion
from the prior quarter. The current account deficit measured
4.3 percent of GDP during the second quarter, the largest
percentage on record.

All data are seasonally adjusted unless otherwise indicated.
U.S. Financial Data is published weekly by the Research Division of the Federal Reserve Bank of
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