Eurozone factory prices 0.2% in December

Producer prices in the 17-nation bloc contracted for the second successive month in December giving a chance for the European Central Bank to lower the interest rate in order to revive the economy of the bloc. Eurozone factory prices fell 0.2% in the last month of 2012 equally with factory prices of the 27-nation European Union recording in the same month.

"The ECB is unlikely to change policy stance at the February Governing Council meeting," Citigroup said in a note. "But we expect the tone of the press statement to turn more cautious on the economic outlook and more relaxed on the outlook for inflation."