• Eurostat is set to release key Europe inflation data on Wednesday.
• Headline annual inflation is seen holding steady at 2.6% in March.
• The European Central Bank (ECB) is expected to cut rates in June.

The Harmonized Index of Consumer Prices (HICP), a measure of inflation for the Eurozone, will be released on Wednesday, April 3. The inflation data from the old continent will be closely scrutinized by the European Central Bank (ECB) against rising speculation that the bank could start its easing cycle as soon as at its June event.

A glimpse at recent European data saw consumer prices in the euro bloc climb at an annualized 2.9% in the year to December 2023, just to recede in the subsequent two months to 2.8% and 2.6%, a move that mirrored other G10 nations.

In her last comments on March 20, ECB’s President Christine Lagarde expressed difficulty in determining whether the current price pressures stem merely from delays in adjusting wages and services prices, combined with the cyclical fluctuations in productivity, or if they indicate persistent inflationary trends.

Lagarde added that, unlike previous phases of their policy cycle, there are indications that the anticipated disinflationary trajectory will persist. Should the data unveil a significant correlation <wbr>between the underlying inflation trend and the ECB projections, Lagarde thinks the bank can transition into the phase of scaling back its policy measures.