U.S. producer prices, excluding food and energy, rose at an annual rate of 3.6 percent in January. This was significantly more than economists' average forecast of 3.0 percent and higher than December's 3.3 percent.
The figures reduce the likelihood of an imminent U.S. interest-rate cut, which sent stock indices on Wall Street lower in pre-market trading.
The Stockholm stock exchange also reacted negatively. The earlier rise slowed, and at 3 p.m. the OMXS index was up 0.2 percent.
