Consumer prices in the euro area increased further in May. This was shown on Tuesday by provisional figures from Eurostat.
Inflation went from 1.6% in April to 2.0% in May. This is also a little more than expected. Economists expected 1.9 percent.
Core inflation, a key indicator for the ECB, was 0.9% annually in May. Core prices rose by 0.8 percent year-on-year in April.
The industrial activity of the United Kingdom continued to grow in May. This was shown on Tuesday by final figures from Markit Economics. The industry index rose from 60.9 in April to 65.6 in May, the highest point since July 1994. A provisional figure for May indicated an index of 66.1.