Inflation fell sharply and by much more than expected in March. Consumer prices provisionally rose 0.2 percent on the month, some 0.5 percentage points less than the market consensus and a small enough increase to slash the annual inflation rate from February's final 3.0 percent to 2.3 percent. The latter rate now stands at its weakest mark since September 2021.

The flash HICP largely followed suit with a 0.3 percent monthly rise that reduced its yearly change from 3.2 percent to 2.4 percent, just 0.4 percentage points above the ECB's target.

The deceleration in the annual CPI rate was broad-based but helped by sharp declines in food (1.7 percent after 3.6 percent) and energy (3.4 percent after 4.3 percent). Inflation in overall manufactured goods dropped from 0.4 percent to a minimal 0.1 percent while its service sector counterpart eased from 3.2 percent to 3.0 percent. Consequently, the core rate (2.7 percent in February) should have declined too.

The surprisingly marked slowdown in French HICP inflation bodes well for another fall in the headline Eurozone rate at quarter-end (flash data due next Wednesday). The ECB should be happy enough although it will note that prices in services remain somewhat sticky. More generally, today's updates put the French RPI at minus 4 and the RPI-P at 5, both measures showing overall economic activity performing much as expected.

Consumer price inflation in March is expected to ease from 3.0 percent to 2.8 percent. When harmonised, forecasters are looking for slowing to 0.7 percent monthly and 2.8 percent annually that would compare with February's 0.9 and 3.2 percent.

The consumer price index (CPI) is a measure of the average price level of a fixed basket of goods and services purchased by consumers. Monthly and annual changes in the CPI represent the main rates of inflation. The national CPI is released alongside the HICP, Eurostat's harmonized measure of consumer prices. A flash estimate was released for the first time in January 2016 and is now published towards the end of each reference month.

The consumer price index is the most widely followed indicator of inflation. An investor who understands how inflation influences the markets will benefit over those investors that do not understand the impact. In countries where monetary policy decisions rest on the central bank's inflation target, the rate of inflation directly affects all interest rates charged to business and the consumer. As a member of the European Monetary Union, France's interest rates are set by the European Central Bank.

France like other EMU countries has both a national CPI and a harmonized index of consumer prices (HICP). The HICP is calculated to give a comparable inflation measure for the EMU. Components and weights within the national CPI vary from other countries, reflecting national idiosyncrasies.

Inflation is an increase in the overall prices of goods and services. The relationship between inflation and interest rates is the key to understanding how indicators such as the CPI influence the markets - and your investments. As the rate of inflation changes and as expectations on inflation change, the markets adjust interest rates. The effect ripples across stocks, bonds, commodities, and your portfolio, often in a dramatic fashion.

By tracking inflation, whether high or low, rising or falling, investors can anticipate how different types of investments will perform. Over the long run, the bond market will rally (fall) when increases in the CPI are small (large). The equity market rallies with the bond market because low inflation promises low interest rates and is good for profits.