According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communication's figures, inflation was pushed up by rising prices for fuel, light and water charges (+6.4%), furniture and household utensils (+3.2%) as well as culture and recreation (+2.6%). The pickup in inflationary pressure is likely to continue as market sentiment remains more cautious, with key earnings results emerging on a more pessimistic trajectory, including those for Chevron Corp. and Exxon Mobil Corp (down 0.06% at the latest reporting).