Lumber prices plummet as sawmills crank up output, easing inflation fears

From sawmills to store shelves to your own hammer swings, lumber can tell you a lot about what is going on in the economy right now.

Lumber prices soared over the last year, frustrating would-be pandemic do-it-yourselfers, jacking up the costs of new homes and serving as a compelling talking point in the debate over whether government stimulus efforts risked the return of 1970s-style inflation.