But recently higher oil prices are casting a shadow over prospects for quickly beating inflation down to the central bank’s target of 2%. The fall in core inflation “reinforces our view that the ECB has finished raising interest rates,” said Jack Allen-Reynolds, deputy chief eurozone economist at Capital Economics. He predicted that the overall inflation rate would tumble to 3.5% by the end of the year. But higher rates also can weigh on economic growth, leaving the central bank facing a balancing act over how far to go. Many economists think the ECB has finished raising rates unless something drastic happens to keep inflation from falling further.

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Persons: —, ”, Jack Allen, Reynolds, Christine Lagarde, paychecks don’t Organizations: European Central Bank, Eurostat, ECB, Capital Economics, Federal Reserve Locations: FRANKFURT, Germany, U.S, Russian, Ukraine, Moscow, Europe, Saudi Arabia, Russia