French and Italian inflation keep ECB on path to lower rates

Passengers walk in an inside hall of the Gare du Nord train station in Paris. . — AFP

PARIS: French inflation eased below 3% for the first time in 2½ years and Italy reported a lower-than-expected reading, confirming a trend that has tipped the European Central Bank (ECB) toward cutting interest rates.

Consumer prices in France, the euro zone’s second-largest economy, rose 2.4% from a year earlier in March after a 3.2% gain the previous month, according to statistics agency Insee.