Alva Review-Courier -

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. wholesale prices edged up just 0.1 percent in April, held down by a big drop in food costs. It was the smallest gain in four months.

The April increase in the Labor Department's producer price index, which measures inflation pressures before they reach consumers, followed a 0.3 percent rise in March, the government reported Wednesday. It was the smallest gain since wholesale prices were unchanged in December.

Core prices, which exclude volatile energy and food, rose 0.2 percent in April. Over the past 12 months, wholesale prices are up 2.6 percent while core wholesale pr...