Comment by Jaromír Šindel, Chief Economist of the CBA: January's significant slowdown in consumer prices to 1.6% year-on-year mainly reflected the transfer of contributions for renewable energy from household invoices to the state budget. By contrast, core inflation eased slightly to 2.7% y/y from 2.8% at the end of last year. Food prices, which had contributed significantly to the moderation of inflation at the end of last year, rose in January, but less than would have been seasonally consistent. Consumer price growth is expected to reach around 1.7% yoy this year, following a 2.5% rise in 2025, but with core inflation still rising at around 2.5%, this will also require a disinflationary impulse, which is not yet coming from the property market segment, for example. Higher core inflation should keep the CNB interest rate steady at 3.5%, although the market is pricing in a slight cut, as are half of the CBA forecast panelists.

Comment by Jaromír Šindel, Chief Economist of the CBA: The significant slowdown in consumer prices to 1.6% year on year in January did not surprise the consensus and mainly reflects lower energy prices, but also food and fuel prices. On the contrary, I expect core inflation to remain at at least 2.8% growth from the end of last year. Although core retail sales corrected with a 0.6% month-on-month decline in December, annualized momentum, along with household plans, remains strong and does not suggest easing demand pressures. Thus, even in light of fiscal plans, interest rate stability appears to be an appropriate stance for the central bank, at least for the coming months. This is inconsistent with interest rate market targeting, but in my view this would require significantly lower core inflation pressures.

Comment by Jaromír Šindel, Chief Economist of the CBA: The analysis summarizes the government's regulatory steps that will further slow consumer price growth this year, probably well below 2%. What does this mean for the CBA, which seems to be starting to deflate the pigeon balloons, at least more than at the end of last year? Given its earlier communications, where inflation is headed in 2027 should be key, which will also indicate the direction of core inflation in the months ahead. And it is not just the case of still strongly rising services prices that are the focus of this analysis, the first part of the triptych ahead of the CNB's February board meeting.