Pressure Mounts on ECB after German Inflation Misses Estimates

German inflation (GRCP2HYY) accelerated less than economists forecast in April, increasing pressure on the European Central Bank to add stimulus in the euro area.

Inflation, calculated using a harmonized European Union method, was 1.1 percent, up from 0.9 percent in March, the Federal Statistics Office in Wiesbaden said today. Economists predicted a rate of 1.3 percent, according to the median of 21 estimates in a Bloomberg News survey. Eurostat, the EU’s statistics office in Luxembourg, will release consumer-price data for the euro area at 11 a.m. tomorrow.

ECB President Mario Draghi has signaled he’ll use unprecedented measures from negative interest rates to quantitative easing if needed to avert the risk of deflation in the 18-nation currency bloc. Inflation in the region was 0.5 percent (ECCPEST) in March, the lowest rate in more than four years and well below the ECB’s goal of just under 2 percent.

Bloomberg

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