The Local Sweden

Swedish job losses set to soar in 2009

Fri, 19 Dec 2008 11:45:00 +0100

The global financial crisis is set to have "substantial effects" on the real economy in Sweden over the next two years, a new report has predicted, with large numbers of people expected to lose their jobs.

Riksbank may put off rate hike

Mon, 04 Feb 2008 17:41:00 +0100

Despite Sweden’s strong economy, concerns about international economic conditions suggest that the Riksbank might wait before raising interest rates further.

Analysts: No interest rate hike in February

Mon, 21 Jan 2008 09:24:00 +0100

The Riksbank is likely to leave interest rates unchanged in February, according to a Reuters poll of Swedish analysts.

Inflation rises more than expected

Mon, 12 Nov 2007 13:59:00 +0100

Swedish inflation rose sharply in October, according to new official figures, with the markedly higher cost of homes accounting for much of the rise. Analysts said they were surprised by the rise.

Bank raises rates again

Tue, 30 Oct 2007 10:51:00 +0100

Sweden's central bank, the Riksbank, has raised interest rates by 0.25 percentage points to 4.0 percent.

Swedish interest rates up again

Fri, 07 Sep 2007 11:46:00 +0200

Sweden's central bank, the Riksbank, has raised interest rates by 0.25 percentage points to 3.75 percent. The bank said the repo rate would need raising again the the coming months, roughly in line with its prognosis in June.

Riksbank: Sweden's financial system working well

Wed, 22 Aug 2007 14:42:00 +0200

Sweden's central bank has said it is following carefully the turbulence on the international financial markets triggered by problems in US sub-prime mortgages.

Swedes face big hit if rates rise

Mon, 30 Jul 2007 20:26:00 +0200

Swedes could take a big hit if house prices were to fall sharply, or if interest rates were to climb, a report by credit rating agency Fitch Ratings says.

Union power should come with responsibility

Tue, 26 Jun 2007 18:18:00 +0200

Swedish interest rate rises have been pushed on by high wage demands from trade unions. The unions' short-term gains are being won at the expense of the economy as a whole, argues Nima Sanandaji of think-tank Captus.

Riksbank raises interest rates

Wed, 20 Jun 2007 12:33:00 +0200

Sweden's Riksbank has decided to raise its most important interest rate, the repo rate, by 0.25 percentage points to 3.50 per cent.

State could guarantee first-time mortgages

Thu, 07 Jun 2007 10:29:00 +0200

People who want to buy their first home but have trouble getting a bank loan could soon get a credit guarantee from the state, under plans unveiled by the government.

House prices 'not a worry'

Wed, 30 May 2007 12:48:00 +0200

The deputy governor of the Riksbank, Sweden's central bank, has said he is not worried about the continued rise in Swedish property prices.

Swedes save money by staying out of euro

Sun, 11 Mar 2007 18:20:00 +0100

Swedish homeowners are over five billion kronor richer thanks to the country's decision in 2003 not ditch the krona as the national currency in favour of the euro.

SEB predicts two years of strong growth

Tue, 06 Feb 2007 16:19:00 +0100

Swedish bank SEB expects interest rates to rise sharply over the coming years, reaching 4.5 percent in 2008. The bank's prognosis comes just a day after suggestions by Irma Rosenberg, deputy governor of Sweden's central bank, the Riksbank, that interest rates would slow down.

Swedish Riksbank reiterates further rate hikes

Mon, 05 Feb 2007 13:34:00 +0100

The Riksbank's deputy governor Irma Rosenberg said that since both the demand and supply sides of the Swedish economy are growing, it sees inflation being held back in the future, but reiterated that the central bank 'envisages' further rate increases.

More Swedes take fixed mortgages

Fri, 26 Jan 2007 11:35:00 +0100

Over half of all new mortgages signed in Sweden in December were fixed rate loans, with most fixed for a period of less than five years.

Bank raises interest rates for sixth time

Fri, 15 Dec 2006 11:20:00 +0100

Sweden's homeowners can expect higher living costs after the country's central bank, the Riksbank, raised interest rates by 0.25 percentage points to 3.0 percent. The announcement, made at 9:30am on Friday, means that the repo rate has risen six times since January.

Rise predicted Sweden's interest rates

Tue, 21 Nov 2006 12:48:00 +0100

Sweden's GDP is expected to rise by 4.5 percent this year, according to Swedish bank SEB's growth report. GDP will rise by 3.5 percent next year and 2.4 percent in 2008.

Interest rates rise again

Thu, 26 Oct 2006 11:18:00 +0200

Sweden's central bank, the Riksbank, has raised interest rates by 0.25 percentage points to 2.75 percent.

Interest rates up to 2.5 percent

Wed, 30 Aug 2006 11:53:00 +0200

The Swedish central bank, the Riksbank, has raised its main interest rate, the repo rate, by 0.25 percentage points to 2.5 percent. The rise is the fourth in a row from the Riksbank since interest rates hit a low of 1.5 percent at the start of the year.