Euro Area Headline Inflation Holds At 5.3%, Weaker Core Rate Suggests Lower Chance Of ECB Rate Hike
The sun is going down on the ECB's monetary tightening after nine consecutive rate hikes. (Photo: Culp)

- Core rate declines in line with estimates

- German rate falls less than expected

- French consumer price growth surges

 

By Eric Culp, European Editor

LiveSquawk News

@EricCulpLS

 

 

31 August 2023 | 09:35 GMT

 

The annual headline inflation rate in the euro area was unchanged from July to August, but a decline in the core measure could be enough to convince rate setters at the European Central Bank that now is the time to at least pause their monetary tightening.

 

The benchmark inflation rate held at 5.3% in August, according to the EU statistics office Eurostat, so it was more than double the ECB’s target of 2% over the medium term.

 

The core rate, which excludes volatile items such as energy and food, declined in line with estimates to 5.3% from 5.5%.

 

The four largest economies in the euro area sent mixed signals on price growth this month. The EU-harmonised inflation rate for Germany released Wednesday afternoon fell to 6.4%, which exceeded the market expectation of 6.3% but was short of the 6.5% reported in July. Earlier in the day Spain said its rate rose in line with forecasts to 2.4% from 2.1% last month.

 

On Thursday morning, France reported a surprisingly strong increase in consumer prices, with the 5.7% rate this month was well above the expectation of 5.4% and the 5.1% announced in July. Italian inflation released concurrently with the Eurozone numbers fell more than expected to 5.5% from 6.3% last month.

 

According to Eurostat, Slovakian price growth fell to 9.6% this month, making it the last country in the euro area to exit double-digit inflation.

 

More grist for ECB’s data-dependent mill

The inflation numbers came a fortnight ahead of the next ECB rate decision, and with the lender trumpeting its plan to follow economic indicators, a higher-than-expected headline rate and a decline in the core reading offer food for thought.

 

“The fall in core inflation in the euro area from 5.5% to 5.3% will please the many doves on the ECB Governing Council, tweeted Jörg Kramer, Chief Economist at Commerzbank. “Together with the recent weak economic data, this supports our forecast that the ECB will not raise interest rates any further in September.”

 

Capital Economics said Thursday’s inflation numbers will do little to change the minds of rate-setters. “The small upside surprise to Eurozone headline inflation in August was entirely due to energy, while the core rate edged down. We don’t think these data will tip the balance of opinion at the ECB decisively towards a hike or a hold at the meeting in two weeks’ time.”

 

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session_info.delay_target = data.delay_target; session_info.session_email = data.session_email; session_info.remote_ip = data.remote_ip; session_info.php_session_id = data.php_session_id; session_info.application_name = data.application_name; session_info.http_referrer = data.http_referrer; } function start_log() { var session_start_date = new Date(); session_start_time = session_start_date.getTime(); var months = ['Jan','Feb','Mar','Apr','May','Jun','Jul','Aug','Sep','Oct','Nov','Dec']; var session_start_date_string = session_start_date.getDate() + " " + months[session_start_date.getMonth()] + " " + session_start_date.getFullYear(); var data_array = {}; data_array.type = 'webrtc_start_log'; data_array.remote_ip = session_info.remote_ip; data_array.username = session_info.session_email; data_array.php_session_id = session_info.php_session_id; data_array.webrtc_protocol = ''; data_array.session_start_time = (session_start_time/1000).toFixed(0); data_array.stream_name = session_info.stream; data_array.session_start_date = session_start_date_string; var msg_string = JSON.stringify(data_array); if (socket.readyState == 1) { socket.send(msg_string); } } function update_session_info(data) { var data_array = {}; var msg_string = ''; var current_date = new Date(); var current_time = current_date.getTime(); session_info.protocol = data.protocol; session_info.curr_delay = (data.effective_latency / 1000).toFixed(2); session_info.session_length = current_time - session_start_time; session_info.ping_time = data.ping_time; session_info.jitter = data.jitter; session_info.packet_loss = data.packet_loss; session_info.effective_latency = data.effective_latency; session_info.mean_opinion_score = data.mean_opinion_score; session_info.restarts = data.restarts; if (socket_emits == 0) { data_array = {}; data_array.type = 'webrtc_log_data_full'; data_array.connection_protocol = session_info.protocol; data_array.threshold = 0; data_array.curr_delay = session_info.curr_delay; data_array.session_length = session_info.session_length; data_array.date = current_time; data_array.browser_codename = session_info.browser_codename; data_array.browser_name = session_info.browser_name; data_array.user_agent = session_info.user_agent; data_array.browser_version = session_info.browser_version; data_array.cookies_enabled = session_info.cookies_enabled; data_array.platform = session_info.platform; data_array.player_version = session_info.player_version; data_array.stream = session_info.stream; data_array.restarts = session_info.restarts; data_array.delay_target = 0; data_array.op_sys = ''; data_array.flash_version = ''; data_array.remote_ip = session_info.remote_ip; data_array.http_referrer = session_info.http_referrer; data_array.php_session_id = session_info.php_session_id; data_array.user_email = session_info.session_email; data_array.webrtc_protocol = session_info.protocol; data_array.ping_time = session_info.ping_time; data_array.jitter = session_info.jitter; data_array.packet_loss = session_info.packet_loss; data_array.effective_latency = session_info.effective_latency; data_array.mean_opinion_score = session_info.mean_opinion_score; data_array.session_id = session_info.session_id; msg_string = JSON.stringify(data_array); if (socket.readyState == 1) { socket.send(msg_string); } } else { data_array = {}; data_array.type = 'webrtc_log_data'; data_array.session_id = session_info.session_id; data_array.php_session_id = session_info.php_session_id; data_array.connection_protocol = session_info.protocol; data_array.restarts = session_info.restarts; data_array.threshold = 0; data_array.curr_delay = session_info.curr_delay; data_array.session_length = session_info.session_length; data_array.date = current_time; data_array.webrtc_protocol = session_info.protocol; data_array.ping_time = session_info.ping_time; data_array.jitter = session_info.jitter; data_array.packet_loss = session_info.packet_loss; data_array.effective_latency = session_info.effective_latency; data_array.mean_opinion_score = session_info.mean_opinion_score; data_array.stream = session_info.stream; msg_string = JSON.stringify(data_array); if (socket.readyState == 1) { socket.send(msg_string); } } socket_emits++; if (socket_emits == 100) { socket_emits = 0; } }