SignCost Index: materials vs. sign prices

Key sign inputs set against the Sign Manufacturing producer price index, all rebased to 100 in Jan 2019. When the colored lines pull above the gray dashed line, input costs are rising faster than the prices shops get for signs.

Aluminum mill shapes (WPU102501)Thermoplastic resins and plastics materials (WPU0662)Nonpackaging plastics film and sheet manufacturing (PCU326113326113)Nonresidential electric lighting fixture manufacturing (PCU335122335122)Electric power and specialty transformer manufacturing (PCU335311335311)Sign manufacturing (PCU339950339950)

Rebased: each line = 100 at Jan 2019. Hover a point for the raw FRED index value. Source: U.S. BLS Producer Price Index / IMF via FRED.

Series	YoY	Since Jan 2025	vs. sign prices (YoY, pts)
Aluminum mill shapes WPU102501	+25.2%	+50.0%	+25.0
Thermoplastic resins and plastics materials WPU0662	+6.7%	+5.5%	+6.5
Nonpackaging plastics film and sheet manufacturing PCU326113326113	+11.6%	+13.7%	+11.4
Nonresidential electric lighting fixture manufacturing PCU335122335122	+3.5%	+7.2%	+3.2
Electric power and specialty transformer manufacturing PCU335311335311	+7.8%	+9.7%	+7.6

Methodology

Each line is a monthly Producer Price Index (or IMF price) downloaded from FRED and divided by its own value in the start month, so lines with different base years can share one chart. Year-over-year compares the latest month with the same month a year earlier. This is a comparison view, not a weighted composite; no weights are applied.

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