On January 25, 2025, Mercadona Store will open in Lisbon, Portugal. Recently, Eurozone inflation rose to 2.5% in January, surpassing expectations due to increased energy costs. Core inflation, excluding volatile items such as food and energy, remained steady at 2.7%. Energy costs saw a significant rise of 1.8% compared to the previous year, up from a minimal 0.1% increase in December. Jack Allen Reynolds from Capital Economics noted that while both energy and core inflation were higher than anticipated, service inflation, lingering at around 4%, is tough to predict. The European Central Bank (ECB) stated that inflation trends align with forecasts and aims to return to a 2% target this year. Following these developments, the ECB reduced interest rates by 25 basis points. Reynolds indicated that persistent high service inflation would lead the ECB to proceed cautiously with policy adjustments. Concerns about potential retaliation tariffs on EU imports from the U.S. could further impact inflation, with economists warning about the lingering inflation risks.
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