Daily Insight-In the news: Feb. CPI, PPI figures; Avangard posts upbeat FY10 results; Azovstal ends 2010 with net loss

Ukraine\'s Consumer price index (CPI) slowed down to 0.9% MoM in February, after 1% in January, and for 2M11, CPI reached 1.9%. The largest contributor to the price growth was made by government-regulated utilities services such as heating and hot water (up 7.4%), electricity (6.8%), and running water (5.4%), all due to the lasting effect of the 50% increase in natural gas tariffs in August. From other items in the consumer basket, the largest contributors to February\'s rise were vegetables (up 5.1%), fruit (3.3%), and fuels (4.3%). The prices for bread and flour products rose by merely 1.7-1.8% MoM and 16.1% YoY in February, due to the government\'s price control over socially sensitive goods and the grain export quotas in place since last summer. At the same time, some goods fell in price, such as eggs (down 13.8% MoM), meat (2.3%), and milk (0.4%) etc.