Prices paid to U.S. wholesalers fell in October by the most in four months as the cost of energy and automobiles decreased, pointing to waning inflation.

The producer price index declined a more-than-projected 0.3 percent after a 0.8 percent gain in September, Labor Department figures showed today in Washington. Economists forecast a 0.1 percent decrease, according to the median of 74 estimates in a Bloomberg News survey. The so-called core measure, which excludes volatile food and energy, was unchanged, marking the first time without an increase since November 2010.

The report showed cheaper raw materials and partially finished goods, indicating companies are under less pressure to raise prices. Cooling inflation gives Federal Reserve policy makers more room to spur the recovery should the world's largest economy falter.