Wholesale inflation dips in March for first time since August

Washington

US WHOLESALE inflation fell slightly in March for the first time since August 2016, a sign that broader inflation will accelerate only gradually but the annual measure hit its fastest pace in five years, the Labor Department reported on Thursday.

While analysts had been expecting a monthly slowdown, the longer-term results reflected persistent upward pressures in the cost of goods, which can filter through to prices consumers pay.

The Producer Price Index, which measures input costs from the …