BRUSSELS (AFX) - Euro zone industrial producer prices index (PPI) rose 0.2 pct in February from January and were up 4.4 pct year-on-year against 4.8 pct the previous month, the EU statistics office Eurostat said.
In the EU, the February PPI rose 0.1 pct from January and was up 3.9 pct year-on-year, against 4.2 the previous month, it said.
In the euro zone, among PPI components, intermediate goods prices were unchanged against January, but were up 6.7 pct year-on-year. Capital goods prices rose 0.2 pct from January and were up 0.9 pct year-on-year, durable consumer goods rose 0.3 pct from January and were up 1.9 pct year-on-year, while non-durable consumer goods rose 0.5 pct in the month and 3.2 pct year-on-year.
In the EU 15, among PPI components, intermediate goods prices rose 0.1 pct from January and were up 6.8 pct year-on-year.
Capital goods rose 0.1 pct from January and were up 0.3 pct year-on-year, durable consumer goods rose 0.2 pct from January and were up 1.6 pct year-on-year, while non-durable consumer goods rose 0.4 pct in the month and 2.9 pct year-on-year.
Monthly PPI fell in four member states in December, with the sharpest declines posted in Portugal where PPI dropped 0.7 pct and in Ireland where it dropped 0.4 pct.
PPI was unchanged in Finland and up in seven member states, with the sharpest rise posted in Luxembourg up 0.7 pct and in Spain up 0.5 pct. The annual PPI rises varied between 1.3 pct in the UK and 7.5 pct in the Netherlands and 6.0 pct in Portugal. Compared to Jan 2001, the annual PPI rates were unchanged or lower in all member states except Germany and Luxembourg, Eurostat said.