February 5 (SeeNews) - Erste Group expects Slovenia's average annual inflation rate to slightly rise to around 1.6% in 2018, up from 1.4% in 2017, the Serbian unit of Erste said on Monday.
Slovenia's inflation peaked above the 2% mark early in 2017, but CPI developments slowed down as inflation moved in a narrow band around 1.5% throughout most of last year, Erste Group said in a CEE report emailed to SeeNews by Erste Serbia.
Erste added that a similar pattern is expected in 2018, with the CPI profile bringing no major changes to the pattern.
Erste, however noted, that it sees more intensified pressures on both the domestic demand and cost sides gradually driving the headline figure towards higher ground, i.e. implying inflation peaking during 3Q18 towards the 2% mark and afterward decelerating a few notches.