Inflation & Prices

Eurozone Inflation Slows Less Than Forecast, Backing ECB Caution

  • February consumer prices rose 2.6% from a year ago; est 2.5%
  • Investors agree with majority of officials signaling June cut
Shoppers in Nuremberg, Germany.Photographer: Ben Kilb/Bloomberg
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Euro-zone inflation eased less than anticipated in February — supporting European Central Bank officials who don’t want to rush into lowering interest rates.

Consumer prices rose 2.6% from a year ago in February, Eurostat said Friday. That’s above the 2.5% median estimate in a Bloomberg survey of economists. Core inflation, excluding volatile components such as food and energy, also moderated less than envisaged, to 3.1%.