Price rises in the euro area held steady at 2.4% in April, while the economy returned to growth in the first quarter, according to flash figures published Tuesday. Headline inflation of 2.4% was in line with the forecast of economists polled by Reuters. It is the seventh straight month the headline rate has been below 3%, despite a slight rebound in the rate in December due to energy prices. Core inflation, excluding energy, food, alcohol and tobacco, dipped to 2.7% from 2.9% in March. However, Martinez noted the slightly lower-than-expected fall in core inflation and volatility in some areas of services that had increased the inflation rates in France and Italy.

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Persons: Price, Gerardo Martinez, Martinez, Jane Foley, Foley Organizations: Reuters, European Central Bank, Gross, ECB, CNBC, BNP, Rabobank Locations: Europe, France, Italy