| Time | Country | Event | Period | Previous value | Forecast | Actual |
|---|
| 09:00 | Eurozone | Harmonized CPI | April | 0.8% | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| 09:00 | Eurozone | Harmonized CPI, Y/Y | April | 2.4% | 2.4% | 2.4% |
| 09:00 | Eurozone | Harmonized CPI ex EFAT, Y/Y | April | 2.9% | 2.7% | 2.7% |
EUR traded mixed against other major currencies in the European session on Friday as the latest statements from the European Central Bank’s policymakers reinforced the markets’ expectations that the first rate cut will come at the ECB’s June meeting.
The single European currency rose versus AUD, CHF, JPY and SEK but declined versus USD, GBP and CAD.
In an interview with Japan's Nikkei newspaper, the ECB board member Isabel Schnabel acknowledged that a rate decrease in June may be appropriate but noted that the path beyond June is much more uncertain.
Her remarks echoed the recent comments of several other ECB officials, including Martins Kazaks, Mario Centeno, Pablo Hernandez de Cos, Luis de Guindos, etc., who assumed the possibility of a June rate reduction but highlighted a need for a cautious policy action beyond that.
Meanwhile, the euro area’s final CPI data for April confirmed that the region’s annual inflation rate was 2.4% last month, unchanged compared to March, and the core inflation measure slipped to 2.7% from 2.9% in the previous month.