Stocks rose at market open Wednesday as an unexpected increase in producer prices showed inflation pressures beginning to subside, a positive sign for the U.S. economy.<br />The S&P 500 added 0.79%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 0.65%, and the Nasdaq jumped 0.9%.<br />Producer prices unexpectedly rose in January, up 0.1% compared to an expected 0.2% decline.<br />Core prices, excluding volatile items such as food and energy, rose 0.2% and are up 0.8% over the past 12 months.<br />The reading proves a positive for inflation which has been weighed down by a slump in commodity prices.<br />Industrial production in the U.S. climbed 0.9% in January, three times the increase analysts had expected.<br />Sharper growth indicated fears over the health of the U.S. economy, particularly in manufacturing, may have been overblown.
