Brazil mid-March inflation up 0.49 pct, slightly below forecasts

SAO PAULO, March 22 (Reuters) - Brazil's benchmark IPCA-15
inflation index rose 0.49 percent in the month to
mid-March, slightly below the median of analysts' forecasts,
government statistics agency IBGE said on Friday.
In the month to mid-February, the index rose 0.68 percent.
The index had been expected to rise 0.53 percent in the
month to mid-March, according to the median forecast of 27
analysts surveyed by Reuters. Estimates ranged from 0.40 percent
to 0.63 percent.
In the 12 months to mid-March, inflation accelerated to 6.43
percent, from 6.18 percent one month before. The government
targets inflation at 4.5 percent with a tolerance margin of 2
percentage points in either direction.
Below is the result for each price category:

February March

- Food and beverages 1.74 1.40
- Housing -2.17 -0.70
- Household articles 0.82 0.40
- Apparel 0.01 0.48
- Transport 0.46 0.32
- Health and personal care 0.78 0.42
- Personal expenses 1.15 0.51
- Education 5.49 0.50
- Communication 0.08 0.27

- IPCA-15 0.68 0.49