Wholesale Inflation Rises 2.1% Annually, Adding to Broader Price Pressure Concerns

• Wholesale inflation rose 2.1% in the 12 months ended in March, up from 1.6% in February • The increase was lower than expected but shows persistent underlying price pressures • On a monthly basis, wholesale prices rose 0.2% in March, slower than the 0.6% gain in February
• The closely watched "core" index, which strips out food and energy, rose to 2.4% annually • The acceleration comes after Wednesday's hotter-than-expected consumer price data, stoking inflation and interest rate fears