Consumer prices rose 1.7 percent in September, the fourth straight month under the European Central Bank’s goal. Officials are split on whether the undershoot is a problem to fix or a cushion to enjoy.
Building permits rose for a sixth straight month in August as lower rates and a simplified building code revived frozen projects. The country still needs far more homes than it is getting.
With consumer prices falling and the currency at a record against the euro, central bank officials are preparing banks and savers for a return to a policy they thought they had left behind in 2022.
With food inflation gone and shoppers still trading down, discount and full-line chains are cutting prices on hundreds of staples. Dairies, bakeries, and meat processors say they are being squeezed to fund it.
