U.S. wholesale prices rise in November

Wholesale prices outside the volatile food and energy categories rose modestly last month due to a large increase in the cost of new cars.

But there was little sign of inflation in the report, which showed that the weak economy is keeping prices in check.

The Labor Department says that the Producer Price Index, which measures price changes before they reach the consumer, rose by 0.8 percent in November.

Most of that rise was driven by a sharp increase in energy prices, particularly a 4.7 percent rise in the cost of gasoline.

Excluding the volatile food and energy categories, so-called "core" producer prices rose by only 0.3 percent. In the past year, the core index has increased by only 1.2 percent, the smallest 12-month change since June.

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