On Wednesday two separate reports were released showing production at the nation’s manufacturing, mining and utilities industries rose for the fourth straight month, while consumer prices posted their biggest jump in almost a year.

The Federal Reserve reported industrial production increased 0.4% in April, while March’s figure was revised downward to a 0.4% gain from the previously reported 0.7% increase.
April’s increase was led by a more than a 3% increase in auto and auto parts production.
The factory sector, which makes up most of the industrial production, saw a 0.3% increase in output for the month, marking the fourth consecutive increase. This led to factory capacity increasing to almost 74%, the highest level since last August, while overall industrial production capacity increased to 75.5%.
Meantime the U.S. Commerce Department reported its Consumer Price Index increased 0.5% in April.
Much of the increase was due to a sharp upturn in gasoline prices; overall energy prices posted a 4.5% gain.
Excluding the volatile food and energy sectors, the so-called “core CPI” posted a 0.3% increase in April, following a 0.1% upturn in March.