French Inflation Steady At 0.9%

(RTTNews) - France's harmonized inflation remained stable in July and stayed well below the European Central Bank's 2 percent target due to weaker energy prices, official data showed on Thursday.

The harmonized index of consumer prices rose 0.9 percent year-on-year in July, the same rate as seen in June, the statistical office INSEE reported. The rate was expected to slow to 0.8 percent.

Likewise, consumer price inflation remained unchanged at 1.0 percent in July, in line with expectations.

Due to the base effect, energy prices fell at a faster pace of 7.2 percent following a 6.7 percent decrease in June. Manufactured product prices dropped at a steady pace of 0.2 percent. Meanwhile, food inflation accelerated to 1.6 percent from 1.4 percent and services inflation edged up to 2.5 percent from 2.4 percent.

Month-on-month, the HICP gained 0.3 percent after rising 0.4 percent in the previous month. The consumer price index grew 0.2 percent, following June's 0.4 rise. The statistical office said producer prices declined at the slowest pace since February. Producer prices slid 0.2 percent month-on-month in June, following May's 0.9 percent decrease.

On a yearly basis, producer prices advanced 0.2 percent after remaining flat in May, data showed.