By Lynx Insight Service
March 17 (Reuters) –
* The eurozone consumer price index rose 0.8% in February, in line with market expectations, according to final data released on Friday.
* A Reuters poll of analysts expected the figure to rise 0.8% in February.
* Compared to the same month of the previous year, prices rose by 8.5%, according to Eurostat, in line with what economists expected.
* The underlying price index – which excludes energy and food given its high volatility – rose 0.9% from the previous month, data showed.
* Analysts expected core prices to rise 0.9% in February.
* On an annual basis, core prices rose 7.4%, just as analysts had expected. (Report by Benjamin Mejías Valencia)