Romania’s April CPI + 0.35% On Mo, +4.28% On Yr

The monthly inflation came in below market forecasts of a 0.4% increase. In March, Romania’s CPI stagnated at 0.2%.

Non-food prices rose 0.6% on the month in April, due mainly to a 0.4% increase in drug prices, the data showed. Service tariffs were up 0.5% on the month, while food prices edged up 0.2%, same as in March, INS said.

The country’s harmonized index of consumer prices, or HICP, stood at 4.9% at the end of April, from 5% the month before.

Romania’s central bank targets an annual inflation of 3.5% in 2010, plus/minus one percentage point. Last week, the bank raised its forecast for the year-end inflation to 3.7% from 3.5% previously.