Inflation across the euro zones four largest economies stayed above the European Central Banks 2% target for a third consecutive month in May, driven by rising fuel costs linked to geopolitical tensions. With price pressures persisting in France, Germany, Italy and Spain, markets are increasingly pricing in the possibility of further ECB tightening even as economists expect inflation to remain uneven across the region.

Inflation picked up across the EU’s largest economies in May, driven by higher energy prices, fuelling expectations that the ECB will raise interest rates at its June meeting.

Inflation in the euro zone’s four largest economies hovered above the European Central Bank’s 2 percent target for a third straight month in May, preliminary data showed on…

EU flags flutter in front of European Central Bank (ECB) headquarters in Frankfurt, Germany, July 18, 2024. [Photo/Agencies]