The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported on Thursday that the U. S. Producer Price Index for finished goods rose 0.7 percent from February to March.

The department said that for the month, finished food prices rose 2.4 percent while finished energy prices for producers rose 0.7 percent after a 2.9 percent decline in the previous month. Core inflation, the figure that excludes food and energy prices, rose 0.1 percent in March.

It had been predicted by Economists that there would be a 0.5 percent rise in prices for producers for the month and a 6.1 percent annual rate of inflation, which came in at 6 percent.

Core prices came in as predicted.

The department further said that the producer price index for raw materials, called crude materials, rose 3.2 percent for the month while prices for intermediate goods rose 0.6 percent. (With Inputs from Agencies)