The November EZ flash inflation round saw the second consecutive reacceleration from cycle lows in September.
But while an uptick in headline was expected on the back of energy base effects, the core measure remained unchanged at 2.7%, and some analysts now see it undershooting the ECB’s forecast by about 0.2pp in Q4.
Services inflation saw softer momentum in November, running at 2.63% 3m/3m SAAR – a YTD low, with the yearly rate decreasing slightly (-0.1pp to 3.9% in Nov).
But even combined with elevated political uncertainty and a continued subdued growth outlook, the softer services inflation momentum was not able to convince markets to expect an outsized cut at the ECB’s December meeting next week, with meeting-dated OIS pricing around 30bp of cuts for the Dec meeting (vs around 32bp at the beginning of last week).