Economics
Euro Area's Easter Inflation Blip Gives ECB Cause to Stay Wary
- Core rate of price growth drops to 0.7%, weakest in 13 months
- Easter timing was a factor, but ECB worries about confidence
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A slowdown in euro-area inflation -- an Easter-related statistical blip that in normal years would be ignored -- could give the European Central Bank another reason to put off any decision on ending its bond-buying program.
Consumer-price growth unexpectedly weakened to 1.2 percent last month and the core rate, excluding volatile items such as food, was the lowest in more than a year at just 0.7 percent. Both measures were below most economists’ estimates.