Stability In Consumer Prices Persists Amid Sectoral Shifts

by THEFUTURE.TEAM

November 26, 2025

Stable Price Trends Maintain Hold

The latest report from the Consumer Protection Service reveals that consumer prices continue to exhibit stable restraint. According to the monthly Price Observatory, despite varied fluctuations across categories, annual inflation has remained in negative territory for the sixth consecutive month. The analysis, which tracks 250 basic consumer products across 400 retail outlets, confirms that inflation declined from 0.9 percent in July and August to 0.7 percent in September, and finally to 0.3 percent in October 2025.

Sector Dynamics And Price Adjustments

The detailed observatory data highlights distinct trends among product categories. Services, for example, experienced the most substantial year-on-year increase in October at 3 percent, whereas petroleum products and agricultural commodities saw marked declines by 7.5 percent and 2.6 percent respectively. Additionally, electricity prices fell by 2 percent on an annual basis, although a modest month-to-month rise of 1.7 percent was noted. Out of 45 distinct product categories, 33 experienced moderate monthly increases of less than 3 percent, while 11 categories became notably cheaper than in October 2024, with some reductions reaching up to 16 percent.

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Notable Product Price Movements

Within the granular breakdown of product prices, certain items stood out. Evaporated and sweetened milk saw a 6.5 percent rise, while frozen molluscs and shellfish edged upward by 6.2 percent. Instant coffee, fresh vegetables and herbs, infant formula, oil, vegetable shortening, and frozen pasta also recorded increases ranging from 2.1 to 3.5 percent. Conversely, fresh meat dropped by 3.4 percent compared with September and other staples, such as frozen fish, rice, tomato paste, sugar, and canned fish, registered annual declines between 1.1 and 7.1 percent.

Supermarket Pricing Insights And Digital Comparisons

The report further outlines a concurrent initiative that compares supermarket prices for items listed on the e-kalathi digital platform. During the period from October 15 to November 19, the number of identical products across seven major supermarket chains increased from 228 to 257. While the rankings of the most expensive and cheapest chains remained unchanged, the overall basket value rose from €147.05 to €153.68. On November 19, the top-tier supermarket’s basket cost €1,090 in comparison to €936.50 at the lowest-priced competitor.

Consumer Guidance And Strategic Considerations

The Consumer Protection Service advises consumers to leverage the e-kalathi platform and its mobile app for more informed purchasing decisions. It is important to note, however, that while the Price Observatory offers comprehensive data and analysis, it does not substitute for personal market research. Consumers are encouraged to consider qualitative differences and conduct thorough checks in line with their preferences and needs. Detailed data can be accessed directly on the Consumer Protection Service’s website.

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ECB Launches Geopolitical Stress Tests For 110 Eurozone Banks

by THEFUTURE.TEAM

March 9, 2026

The European Central Bank is preparing a new round of geopolitical stress tests aimed at assessing potential risks to major financial institutions across the euro area. Up to 110 systemic banks, including institutions in Greece and the Bank of Cyprus, will take part in the exercise, which examines how geopolitical events could affect financial stability.

Timeline And Testing Process

Banks are expected to submit initial data on March 16, 2026. Supervisors will review the information in April, while the final results are scheduled to be published in July 2026. The process forms part of the ECB’s broader supervisory work to evaluate financial system resilience under different risk scenarios.

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Geopolitical Shock As The Primary Concern

The stress tests place particular emphasis on geopolitical risks. These may include armed conflicts, economic sanctions, cyberattacks and energy supply disruptions. Such events can affect banks through changes in market conditions, borrower solvency and sector exposure. Lending portfolios linked to regions or industries affected by geopolitical developments may face higher risk levels.

Reverse Stress Testing: A Tailored Approach

Unlike traditional stress tests that apply the same scenario to all institutions, the reverse stress test requires each bank to define a scenario that could significantly affect its capital position. Banks must identify a geopolitical shock that could reduce their Common Equity Tier 1 (CET1) ratio by at least 300 basis points. Institutions are also expected to assess potential effects on liquidity, funding conditions and broader economic indicators such as GDP and unemployment.

Customized Risk Assessments And Supervisor Collaboration

This methodology allows banks to submit risk assessments based on their own exposures and operational structures. The approach is intended to help supervisors understand how geopolitical events could affect institutions differently and to support discussions between banks and regulators on risk management and contingency planning.

Differentiated Vulnerabilities Across Countries

A joint report by the ECB and the European Systemic Risk Board indicates that countries respond differently to geopolitical shocks. The Russian invasion of Ukraine led to higher energy prices and inflation across Europe, prompting central banks to raise interest rates. Belgium, Italy, the Netherlands, Greece and Austria experienced increases in borrowing costs and lower investor confidence. Germany, France and Portugal recorded more moderate changes, while Spain, Malta, Latvia and Finland showed intermediate levels of exposure.

Conclusion

The geopolitical stress tests will not immediately lead to additional capital requirements for banks. Their results will feed into the Supervisory Review and Evaluation Process (SREP). ECB supervisors may use the findings when assessing capital adequacy, risk management practices and operational resilience at individual institutions.

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