(Bloomberg) -- European Central Bank Vice President Luis de Guindos said the latest inflation readings leave him optimistic that policymakers are on the right track to deliver on their 2% target.  

The Governing Council has received “some positive surprises” lately, Guindos told Croatian television station HRT1. He reiterated that all future decisions will depend on incoming information — including updated economic projections available at the ECB’s next policy meeting in early March.

“Recent data have been very positive,” Guindos said. “So far the process of disinflation has been quite clear, so I am optimistic about the evolution of inflation.”

Earlier on Wednesday, he argued that the ECB requires additional evidence before it can safely begin loosening monetary policy. He listed rapid wage growth, elevated corporate profit margins and geopolitical tensions as risks that could still reignite price gains.

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