WRAPUP 2-Chile economy grew 4.6 pct in January vs yr ago

(Adds analyst comment, wraps in inflation data)

SANTIAGO, March 5 (Reuters) - Chile's economy grew 4.6 percent in January, accelerating from December as it got a boost from mining activity as well as the nation's retail and financial services sectors.

The result was in line with the expectations of a Reuters poll of six economists, who had a median forecast of 4.6 percent growth for Chile's IMACEC for the month.

The IMACEC, a monthly gauge, measures more than 90 percent of the components comprising Chile's gross domestic product. GDP figures are issued quarterly.

"The IMACEC was no great surprise," said Tomas Flores, an economist with the Instituto Libertad y Desarrollo think tank in Santiago.

"This growth should be similar to what we expect for the first quarter."

Analysts said the figure for January, higher than the 3.6 percent economic growth in December, and tame inflation figures for February were likely not enough for the central bank to change monetary policy at its monthly meeting on March 15.

"In our view the central bank will need to see more data points on activity and inflation to determine whether additional monetary stimulus is needed or whether the current stance of monetary policy is appropriate to keep inflation around the 3.0 percent midpoint of the inflation target band," said Alberto Ramos of Goldman Sachs in New York.

The central bank took the market by surprise in January with a 25-basis-point cut of the benchmark rate, to 5.0 percent.