EXECUTIVES at U.S. companies including Monster Beverage and American Airlines have stressed on higher costs for everything from labor to raw materials in the last few days, pointing to more price increases as profit margins come under severe strain. Last year marked the largest annual rise in inflation in nearly four decades, as supply-chain snarls because of the COVID-19 pandemic led to a surge in commodity and freight costs. The problems have been further aggravated by the rapid spread of the Omicron coronavirus variant and staffing shortages across industries. “We’ve got inflationary pressures all around,” Hilton Schlosberg, co-chief executive officer of energy drink maker Monster Beverage Corp, said on a recent investor call. Schlosberg expressed shock at a near 60 percent surge in the prices of aluminum, used in making drinks cans, over the last year that forced Monster to raise prices. The company is considering another round of price increases in the coming months. Earlier this month, Slim Jim-maker Conagra Brands said it would have to raise product prices further to offset a bigger-than-expected increase in costs. With only about 13 percent of S&P 500 companies reporting quarterly results so far, more corporate warnings on the impact of persistent cost inflation are expected. Rising fuel prices and wage increases have also led some U.S. carriers including American Airlines Group and United Airline Holdings to warn of pressure on their profit margins in the coming months.(SD-Agencies) | 