Japan wholesale price index hits highest level on energy, weak yen

The wholesale price index hit its highest level again in November, with prices of goods traded between companies surging 9.3 percent from a year earlier, Bank of Japan data showed Monday, underscoring the contribution of surging energy costs and a weaker yen to inflationary pressure.

The key index stood at 118.5, the highest since comparable data became available in 1960. Wholesale prices, which affect consumer prices with a lag, rose for the 21th straight month, staying above 9 percent for almost a year.

The pace of increase, however, slowed somewhat in November from a revised 9.4 percent in ...