While the headline figure staying steady is welcome, there are unwelcome rises in other measures of inflation that are being watched by officials at the Bank of England as they plot their next interest rate move.

"The Fed is more worried about the labor market and less concerned about inflation at this point," a Glenmede analyst said.

Japanese inflation rose slightly in August, with prices up 2.8 percent year-on-year, official data showed Friday, hours before the Bank of Japan was widely expected to leave interest rates unchanged.