MILAN, July 23 - Italian consumer prices rose 0.2 percent month-on-month in July, analysts said on Wednesday after 12 key cities from Venice to Palermo released preliminary inflation figures. Four economists said the data suggested a headline consumer inflation rate of 2.6 percent year-on-year, in line with expectations. A poll of 17 analysts had forecast July's CPI at 2.6 year-on-year, unchanged from June, while the monthly figure was seen at 0.2 percent, pushed higher by food prices which have risen as a heatwave saps supply.
The figures are one of the euro zone's first indications of July inflation. Earlier on Wednesday the German state of Hesse reported a 0.3 percent month rise in consumer prices while Bavaria's CPI was 0.4 percent month-on-month. Four other German states are due to report CPI figures in the next couple of days.//