Eurozone Inflation Slows Slightly

(RTTNews) - Eurozone inflation eased slightly in February, flash data from Eurostat showed on Monday.

The harmonized index of consumer prices logged an annual growth of 2.4 percent after rising 2.5 percent in January. The rate was expected to ease to 2.3 percent.

Likewise, core inflation that excludes energy, food, alcohol and tobacco, slowed marginally to 2.6 percent from 2.7 percent in the previous month. This was also slightly above forecast of 2.5 percent.

On a monthly basis, the HICP gained 0.5 percent in February.

Among the components of HICP, services cost showed the highest annual increase of 3.7 percent, but this was slower than the 3.9 percent increase in January.

The annual growth in prices of food, alcohol & tobacco accelerated to 2.7 percent from 2.3 percent. Non-energy industrial goods prices gained 0.6 percent compared with 0.5 percent increase in January.

Energy prices grew 0.2 percent, much slower than the 1.9 percent rise in January.