Euro-Area Inflation Stuck Close to Zero May Pressure ECB
- Consumer prices increased annual 0.2 percent in December
- Economists in survey predicted acceleration to 0.3 percent
Draghi's Dilemma: Euro-Area Inflation Stuck Near Zero
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Euro-area inflation was weaker than economists predicted in December, when the European Central Bank stepped up its stimulus program.
Consumer prices rose an annual 0.2 percent, the European Union’s statistics office said on Tuesday. That compares with a median estimate for a 0.3 percent increase, according to a Bloomberg survey of economists. Italian inflation unexpectedly slowed to 0.1 percent, compared with a forecast for a pickup to 0.4 percent.