India, March 10 -- Italy's producer prices increased for the fourth straight month in January, data from the statistical office ISTAT showed on Monday.

Producer prices rose 1.6 percent monthly in January, faster than the 0.6 percent gain in December.

The upward trend was mainly driven by a 5.0 percent rise in energy costs. Prices for consumer goods and capital goods grew 0.3 percent each, while those for intermediate goods rose by only 0.1 percent.

Prices in the domestic market were up 2.0 percent, and those in the foreign market increased by 0.4 percent.

On a yearly basis, producer prices climbed 4.4 percent in January, much faster than the 1.1 percent rise in the previous month. Moreover, this was the steepest increase since February ...