Annual inflation tipped to hit mid-point of RBNZ's target range in 1Q

Annual inflation tipped to hit mid-point of RBNZ's target range in 1Q
Rebecca Howard
By Rebecca Howard April 18 (BusinessDesk) - Higher food and fuel prices are expected to propel annual inflation to 2 percent in the first quarter, marking the first time it will hit the mid-point of the central bank's target range in five-and-a-half years.  Economists expect inflation was 0.8 percent in the first three months of the year,  for an annual rate of 2 percent, according to the median in a BusinessDesk poll. That would exceed the central bank's projection of inflation of 0.3 percent in the first quarter for an annual rise of 1....