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ECB Has to Work Out If Inflation Monster Is Taking Its Last Gasp
European Central Bank officials confronting faster-than-expected inflation might also wonder if this is just the last stumble before their 2% target looms large. While the 2.6% outcome for February released on Friday — and a still-stubborn 3.1% result for the so-called core measure — present grounds for caution, the downward momentum in consumer prices is getting harder to ignore. The slowdown has taken time, but a seventh consecutive report featuring dissipating pressure on the underlying gauge that strips out volatile elements such as energy points to a steady but relentless decline. The headline measure could ... (full story)