Interest_rates

The following articles have been tagged with "Interest_rates":

Riksbank chief calls for new financial framework

Business & Money: 4 Mar 10
Stefan Ingves, the head of the Swedish Riksbank, has called on parliament to look over the existing financial regulatory framework - and do so expediently. He indicated also that base rate rises will come in the autumn. READ »

Economists reject 'housing bubble' report

Business & Money: 26 Feb 10
Economists from state-owned mortgage lender SBAB have rejected as unfounded warnings from the National Housing Credit Guarantee Board that Sweden stands on the precipice of a house price crash. READ »

State warns of housing boom and bust

National: 23 Feb 10
The National Housing Credit Guarantee Board has warned that Sweden stands on the precipice of a house price crash. When the bust arrives prices can be expected to fall by 20 percent, according to a new report. READ »

Sky darkens over Spyker-Saab funding

Business & Money: 2 Feb 10
Spyker CEO Victor Muller is missing a third of the funds required to complete the purchase of Saab from GM as questions mount over the secret financiers rumoured to be backing the deal. READ »

Sharp interest rate rises in late 2010: report

Business & Money: 22 Jan 10
Homeowners will have less spending power by the end of the year according to a new report from state-owned mortgage lender SBAB, which predicts the Riksbank will begin a sharp interest rate increase in the autumn. READ »

Price freeze to follow 2009 property bonanza

Business & Money: 14 Jan 10
Analysts expect a slowdown in the Swedish residential property market in 2010 following a year in which apartment prices rose by 20 percent amid record low interest rates. READ »

Post-Christmas sales give much needed boost

National: 27 Dec 09
The post-Christmas shopping frenzy is in full swing, giving the Swedish economy a much needed boost. Consumer spending is also up compared to the same period last year. READ »

Swedish generosity on the rise

National: 21 Dec 09
Swedes have become all the more generous despite – or perhaps because of – the economic crisis. The total amount donated to charity in 2009 will be around 5.2 billion kronor ($715 million). READ »

Swedish economy over the worst: report

Business & Money: 18 Dec 09
Sweden's economy is showing strong signs of recovery with tax cuts and low interest rates helping to bring the country out of a protracted slump, according to a new report from the National Institute of Economic Research. READ »

Riksbank leaves interest rates unchanged

Business & Money: 16 Dec 09
The Riksbank decided on Tuesday to leave the leave Sweden’s benchmark interest rate unchanged at 0.25 percent, but indicated that rate hikes were likely later in 2010. READ »

Rate fears put freeze on Swedish housing market

Business & Money: 10 Dec 09
A wintery chill has swept over Sweden’s previously sizzling real estate market, with prices for both houses and apartments dropping in November, new statistics show. READ »

Rate concerns shake up Swedish housing market

Business & Money: 12 Nov 09
Amid growing worries about a bubble in the Swedish housing market, warnings about future interest rate hikes appear to have caused a slowdown in rising home prices. READ »

Riksbank keeps interest rate at 0.25 percent

Business & Money: 22 Oct 09
Sweden's central bank, the Riksbank, has announced that its benchmark interest rate is to remain unchanged at 0.25 percent. The bank also reiterated that it expects the rate to remain at the same level until autumn 2010. READ »

Most Swedes fail to prep for higher interest rates

Society: 19 Oct 09
Only one in ten mortgage holders in Sweden is taking special measures to prepare for any upcoming interest rate hike, a new study shows. READ »

Housing prices surge despite money worries

Society: 13 Oct 09
Housing prices in Sweden have regained their momentum after last autumn's tumble despite concerns over interest rate developments and rising unemployment. READ »

Payment problems plague more Swedish homeowners

Business & Money: 5 Oct 09
Despite record-low interest rates, an increasing number of Swedish homeowners are having trouble paying their debts, according to a new study. READ »

Swedish companies still struggling for funding

Business & Money: 18 Sep 09
Swedish companies are still finding it hard to get funding on the financial markets, despite signs of economic recovery, the Riksbank's deputy governor has said. READ »

Swedes predict property price increase

Business & Money: 7 Sep 09
The number of Swedish households expecting housing prices to increase in the next year has grown to 53 percent, according to SEB bank's latest property price indicators. READ »

Negative interest rate to boost growth: Riksbank

Business & Money: 3 Sep 09
Sweden's central bank has taken the novel step of keeping its fixed interest rates pegged below zero in a bid to stimulate the economy. READ »

Interest rates to stay low until autumn 2010

Business & Money: 3 Sep 09
Sweden’s central bank has pledged to hold its benchmark interest rate at 0.25 percent for another year in a bid to keep interest rates low for business and households. READ »

Swedish banks: Interest rates set to rise

Business & Money: 1 Sep 09
Two of Sweden's biggest banks, SEB and Nordea, have predicted that the Riksbank will raise its benchmark interest rate to 2 percent by the end of next year from its current level of 0.25 percent. READ »

Consumer prices keep dropping in Sweden

Business & Money: 11 Aug 09
Sweden's inflation rate continued to fall in July as consumer prices dropped for the fourth straight month, according to new figures from Statistics Sweden. READ »

Swedish economy growing again: report

Business & Money: 29 Jul 09
Growth has returned to the Swedish economy on a quarterly basis, according to a new report from the Scandinavian bank Nordea. READ »

Record number of Swedish home listings

Business & Money: 14 Jul 09
A record number of homes are up for sale in Sweden, with one of the country's largest real estate websites featuring more listings than during the turbulent days of autumn 2008. READ »

Swedish prices continue to drop

Business & Money: 9 Jul 09
Consumer prices in Sweden dropped by 0.6 percent in June on a 12-month basis, according to new figures from Statistics Sweden. READ »

Riksbank halves interest rates

Business & Money: 2 Jul 09
In a move that surprised many analysts, Sweden’s central bank has slashed its benchmark interest rate from 0.5 to 0.25 percent. READ »

Sweden's food prices buck downward trend

Business & Money: 11 Jun 09
Consumer prices have dropped in Sweden over the last twelve months, according to new figures from Statistics Sweden. READ »

Economic recovery could bring quick rate hikes: Riksbank

Business & Money: 6 May 09
Sweden’s central bank could raise interest rates quickly to combat inflation associated with an economic recovery in Sweden, Riksbank chief Stefan Ingves warned on Wednesday. READ »

Swedish inflation slows to near zero

Business & Money: 14 Apr 09
Swedish inflation slowed to 0.2 percent in March from 0.9 percent in February, Statistics Sweden (SCB) said on Tuesday. READ »

Sweden posts record annual drop in industrial output

Business & Money: 10 Mar 09
Industrial production in Sweden suffered a record year-on-year fall in January, according to new figures released on Tuesday, adding to fears about the health of the Nordic region’s economies. READ »

Swedish economy in 'long, dark winter'

Business & Money: 27 Feb 09
Sweden’s GDP fell by 4.9 percent in the 4th quarter of 2008, marking the first time the country’s economy shrunk on an annual basis since measurement began in 1994. READ »

Krona's slide sparks exchange rate debate

Business & Money: 17 Feb 09
The Swedish krona has continued its slide against major world currencies as a Riksbank official raised the prospect on Tuesday of zero interest rates and "exchange rate targets" to stimulate the economy. READ »

Reinfeldt urges banks to cut mortgage rates

Politics: 11 Feb 09
Sweden’s central bank cut its benchmark interest rate in half to 1 percent on Wednesday, prompting Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt to tell banks to follow suit. READ »

Inflation takes record tumble

Business & Money: 13 Jan 09
Inflation fell back to 0.9 percent in December from 2.5 percent in November, new figures from Statistics Sweden show. Consumer prices fell on average 1.3 percent, mainly due to a sharp decrease in mortgage costs. READ »

Christmas shoppers to boost flagging clothing sales

Business & Money: 23 Dec 08
Clothing retail sales in Sweden are set to decline by 5 percent in December and zero growth is forecast for 2009, according to a new forecast. Designer and expensive items are set to be the hardest hit as household feel the pinch. READ »

Swedish job losses set to soar in 2009

Business & Money: 19 Dec 08
The global financial crisis is set to have a major effect on the real economy in Sweden next year, according to a new report from a government research institute. READ »

Is it time for Sweden to join the eurozone?

Analysis & Opinion: 18 Dec 08
With the Swedish currency foundering in a deepening economic crisis, Jonathan Ward wonders if Sweden should reconsider its decision to shun the euro. READ »

Swedish property slump rumbles on

Society: 11 Dec 08
House and apartment prices continued to drop in Sweden during November, though prices fell at a slower rate than previously, according to a new market analysis. READ »

Riksbank slashes interest rates

Business & Money: 4 Dec 08
The Riksbank cut Sweden’s benchmark interest rate nearly in half on Thursday, shaving 1.75 percent off the repo rate, leaving it at 2.0 percent. READ »

Sweden stumbles into recession

Business & Money: 28 Nov 08
Seasonally adjusted data shows that Sweden’s gross domestic product (GDP) contracted by 0.1 percent in both the second and third quarters, technically putting the country in a recession. READ »

Borg warns of looming recession in Sweden

Business & Money: 17 Nov 08
Sweden's finance minister Anders Borg warned on Monday that the country may be headed toward a recession, while also saying the government is considering other ways to get banks to join its state-sponsored lending programme. READ »

Banks must pay extra for loans from Swedish state

Business & Money: 30 Oct 08
Sweden's recently approved financial sector support package calls for institutions which borrow money from the state to pay a fee of 0.5 percent of the loans or more, according to details published on Wednesday. READ »

How has the financial crisis affected you?

Analysis & Opinion: 29 Oct 08
Every week a panel of readers will be giving their views on the burning issues of the hour. This week: The Panel assess the effects of a crisis that has been emptying wallets worldwide. READ »

Swedish economy set for minor recession

Business & Money: 29 Oct 08
The National Institute of Economic Research predicts Sweden's economy will shrink slightly next year as the country’s main economic indicator dropped to its lowest level since 1996. READ »

Sweden remains loyal to crown as neighbours ponder euro

Analysis & Opinion: 27 Oct 08
Sweden was on Monday showing few signs of abandoning its beloved krona, as Denmark and Iceland both began to get serious about joining the eurozone. READ »

Riksbank lowers repo rate by 0.5 percent

Business & Money: 23 Oct 08
As predicted, Sweden’s Riksbank cut the country’s benchmark interest rate, the repo rate, by half a point to 3.75 percent. READ »

Sweden's krona sheds value amid economic uncertainty

Business & Money: 17 Oct 08
The Swedish krona continues to weaken relative to other major currencies, now trading at more than 10 kronor per euro for the first time since the common European currency was launched in 1999. READ »

Riksbank under fire amid pension fund fears

Business & Money: 9 Oct 08
A former Riksbank official has criticized the bank’s slow reaction to the current financial crisis as concerns mount about the vulnerability of Sweden’s pension funds to a continued drop in the stock market. READ »

Riksbank lowers repo rate by half point

Business & Money: 8 Oct 08
The Riksbank decided on Wednesday to cut Sweden’s benchmark interest rate, the repo rate, by 0.50 percentage points to 4.25 percent as a part of a coordinated effort by several central banks. READ »

Sweden's Debt Office halts t-bill trading

Business & Money: 18 Sep 08
The Swedish National Debt Office (Riksgälden) announced on Thursday it was putting a temporary hold on its market commitment in treasury bills. READ »

Swedish banks 'well-equipped' to weather financial crisis

Business & Money: 18 Sep 08
Following the week’s turbulence in the financial markets, Sweden’s Swedish Financial Supervisory Authority (FI) and the Riksbank met with members of the Riksdag’s finance committee to discuss the crisis. READ »

Bank experts play down Swedish crisis fears

Business & Money: 17 Sep 08
While Sweden’s banks haven’t escaped this week’s global financial turbulence unscathed, experts say there is little chance of a Swedish bank suffering a collapse similar to that of Lehman Brothers. READ »

Riksbank was split over rate hike

Business & Money: 17 Sep 08
There was dissent within the ranks of the Riksbank's leadership during the September 4th decision to raise interest rates, according to minutes of the meeting released on Wednesday. READ »

Swedish statistics agency published faulty inflation data

Business & Money: 9 Sep 08
Sweden’s central bank was relying on bad inflation data when it decided to raise interest rates last week, Statistics Sweden has revealed. READ »

Sweden holds its breath ahead of Riksbank rate decision

Business & Money: 3 Sep 08
Market analysts and savers in Sweden are anxious to learn the outcome of Wednesday’s Riksbank meeting, during which the bank’s governors will decide whether or not to raise interest rates. READ »

Swedish economic growth set to contract

Business & Money: 27 Aug 08
Sweden’s economy is heading for a rough patch according to a fresh report from the National Institute of Economic Research (Konjunkturinstitutet). READ »

Boom time for Swedish fast food restaurants

Business & Money: 20 Aug 08
Sweden's cafes and fast food restaurants have increased their turnover by almost eight percent during the year's first quarter compared to the same period last year. READ »

House prices rise as cost of apartments falls

Society: 13 Aug 08
Apartment prices are continuing to fall in Sweden, but houses are bucking the downward trend. READ »

Inflation hits 15-year high

Business & Money: 7 Aug 08
Sweden's inflation rate hit 4.4 percent in July - the highest for 15 years. Experts now forecast an interest rate hike in the autumn. READ »

Economic downturn hasn't stopped Swedes from borrowing

Business & Money: 5 Aug 08
Despite higher interest rates, rising prices, and signs of slowing economy, Swedes have yet to curb their borrowing habits, according to new statistics. READ »

No growth recorded in Sweden's economy

Business & Money: 1 Aug 08
Sweden’s gross national domestic product (GDP) remained unchanged during the second quarter this year, compared with the first quarter, marking the worst growth level since 2003. READ »

Retail sales robust despite rising food and petrol prices

Business & Money: 29 Jul 08
Higher interest rates and rising prices for food and fuel put pressure on Sweden’s building materials and electronics sales in June, but the overall retail sales picture remains strong, according to new statistics. READ »

Cash not credit is the currency of recession in Sweden

Business & Money: 28 Jul 08
As talk of the global economic slowdown gathers pace Swedes are turning their backs on fast credit to buy their consumable items. READ »

House prices 'will keep falling'

Business & Money: 8 Jul 08
House prices are set to continue falling in many parts of Sweden during the autumn, according to a new report from mortgage lender SBAB. READ »

Riksbank raises interest rates

Business & Money: 3 Jul 08
Sweden's central bank, the Riksbank, has said it will raise its main interest rate by 0.25 percentage points to 4.50 percent. READ »

Swedes see net worth slashed

Business & Money: 16 Jun 08
Swedish households have become 400 billion kronor ($66 billion) poorer in the year's first three months. READ »

Debt payments eat up tax rebates

Business & Money: 15 Jun 08
The first wave of tax rebates are on their way out to Swedish taxpayers. This year the money will be spent paying off debts, a new survey shows. READ »

Higher inflation worries analysts

Business & Money: 10 Jun 08
Consumer prices rose 0.4 percent in May compared to April, giving Sweden an annualized inflation rate of 4.0 percent and prompting analysts to forecast an interest rate hike by the Riksbank. READ »

Swedish economy to slow further

Business & Money: 4 Jun 08
Sweden’s economy is set to weaken further this year and next, but inflation fears continue to pose a threat, according to a recent OECD report. READ »

Sweden's GDP growth hits a wall

Business & Money: 30 May 08
Sweden's gross domestic product (GDP) grew by only 2.2 percent during the year's first quarter, considerably lower than expected. READ »

Inflation still a threat to Sweden's strong economy

Business & Money: 26 May 08
The Swedish economy remains strong, but rising food and oil prices may force the Riksbank to raise interest rates again next autumn. READ »

Tough day for Stockholm stock exchange

Business & Money: 17 Mar 08
Drops in Asian markets and continued concerns over credit markets sent the Stockholm stock exchange down sharply on Monday. READ »

Young Swedes trapped by SMS loan debt

National: 12 Mar 08
The simplicity of obtaining SMS loans in Sweden is increasingly luring youths into debt. READ »

Households forecast real estate price hike

Society: 10 Mar 08
A growing number of households anticipate housing prices to rise over the coming year, a new study has shown. READ »

LO economist 'no longer understands' Riksbank

Business & Money: 21 Feb 08
A speech by Stefan Ingves to trade union economists did little to shed light on the bank’s decision. READ »

Mixed reactions to Beltran verdict and interest rate rise

Analysis & Opinion: 15 Feb 08
David Landes scans press reactions to two decisions this week that took commentators by surprise: a guilty verdict in the Tito Beltran rape case and a Riksbank interest rate hike. READ »

Central bank in surprise rate rike

Business & Money: 13 Feb 08
Sweden's central bank, the Riksbank, defied expectations in raising its main interest rate by 0.25 percentage points. READ »

More Swedes expect falling real estate prices

Business & Money: 11 Feb 08
A bank survey shows more than two-thirds of Swedes think housing prices are on the way down. READ »

Riksbank may put off rate hike

Business & Money: 4 Feb 08
Conflicting market signals are complicating the bank’s monetary policy decision. READ »

Bourse joy short-lived

Business & Money: 23 Jan 08
The Stockholm stock exchange took another tumble on Wednesday following a brief respite. READ »

Stockholm rides financial rollercoaster

Business & Money: 22 Jan 08
The Stockholm stock exchange finished on an upswing after a day filled with stomach-churning peaks and troughs. READ »

Nordea: Swedish economy cooling off

Business & Money: 21 Jan 08
According to the bank’s latest economic report, Swedish economic growth has dropped below three percent. READ »

Analysts: No interest rate hike in February

Business & Money: 21 Jan 08
Analysts are predicting that the Riksbank will leave interest rates unchanged in February. READ »

Rocky international markets concern Riksbank

Business & Money: 31 Dec 07
Riksbank governor Stefan Ingves gives an uncertain prognosis for monetary policy in 2008. READ »

Houses becoming less affordable

Business & Money: 29 Nov 07
The average price of houses sold in Sweden fell in the autumn, but rising interest rates mean houses are still becoming less affordable to the average Swede. READ »

Renters set to win in 2008

Business & Money: 26 Nov 07
People living in rented property will be among the winners in 2008, but people on variable rate mortgages will lose out. READ »

Lower taxes 'boosted Swedish growth'

Business & Money: 9 Nov 07
Lower taxes, higher wages and higher employment levels have boosted Swedish growth this year, the European Commission has said. READ »

Bank raises rates again

Business & Money: 30 Oct 07
Sweden's central bank, the Riksbank, has raised interest rates by 0.25 percentage points to 4.0 percent. The move was widely expected. READ »

Swedish housing market cools off

Society: 25 Oct 07
The cost of apartments in Sweden fell during the third quarter while house prices remained unchanged, according to statistics released by state-owned mortgage lender SBAB. READ »

Dollar at 15-year low against krona

National: 24 Sep 07
The dollar has hit its lowest point since 1992 in relation to the Swedish krona. The slump comes amid speculation of a US economic slowdown. READ »

Shares in Stockholm rise sharply

Business & Money: 19 Sep 07
Shares in Stockholm rose by more than 3 percent on Wednesday, following the unexpected decision by the US Federal Reserve to cut interest rates by 0.5 percent. READ »

Swedish interest rates up again

Business & Money: 7 Sep 07
Sweden's central bank, the Riksbank, has raised interest rates by 0.25 percentage points to 3.75 percent. Recent market turbulence will have "some negative effects" for Sweden, the bank says. READ »

Swedish economy 'set to cool down'

National: 4 Sep 07
The Swedish economy is set to cool down over the next year following economic problems in the United States, according to a report from Nordea bank. READ »

Riksbank: Sweden's financial system working well

Business & Money: 22 Aug 07
The deputy governor of Sweden's central bank has said he is following carefully the turbulence on the international financial markets, but added that the Swedish financial system is functioning well. READ »

Swedes face big hit if rates rise

Business & Money: 30 Jul 07
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. READ »

Swedish firms' borrowing surges

Business & Money: 4 Jul 07
Swedish banks continued to increase lending to businesses in the first quarter of the year. Two out of three banks claimed that their loan levels were rising - but there's pessimism in the air. READ »

Riksbank raises interest rates

Business & Money: 20 Jun 07
Sweden's central bank, the Riksbank, has decided to raise interest rates in a bid to keep inflation in check. Estate agents expect the increase to lead to a cooling off period in the housing market. READ »

House prices continue to rise

National: 8 Jun 07
Swedish house prices are continuing to rise, according to new statistics released on Friday. Apartments have risen in value by 25 percent over the past twelve months. READ »

Sweden's economy to keep growing

Business & Money: 4 Jun 07
The outlook is bright for the Swedish economy over the next year, with continued falling unemployment, strong growth and increased household income, a new report predicts. READ »

Bright outlook for Swedish economy

Business & Money: 24 May 07
Sweden's economy will continue to grow at a healthy pace, according to a new prognosis from the OECD, but inflation poses a threat. READ »

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