New Zealand Inflation Accelerates More Than Expected to 2.5%
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New Zealand's annual inflation accelerated for the first time in almost three years, while still remaining within the Reserve Bank's target band, suggesting no impediment to policymakers delivering further easing to support the economy.
The Consumers Price Index rose 2.5% in the first quarter from a year earlier, quickening from 2.2% three months prior, Statistics New Zealand data showed Thursday in Wellington. The RBNZ and economists' expectation was for a 2.4% gain. Consumer prices advanced 0.9% from the fourth quarter, exceeding estimates.
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