Swedish Riksbank
Swedish Repo Rate Kept at -0.25% But Statement More Guarded
September 5, 2019
The Swedish Riksbank kept its repo rate unchanged at minus 0.25% as had been expected. Although forward guidance in the released statement from the Executive Board of the central bank still implies a second rate increase within the next couple of months, official confidence in that path has declined. “However, market rates have fallen substantially […] More
Problems Deepen in Europe But Appetite for Riskier Assets Returns
September 5, 2019
German industrial orders slumped 2.7% in July, almost twice as steeply as forecast. This wiped out June’s recovery and left orders 5.6% below their year earlier level. Demand weakness was broadly based across industrial sectors but more concentrated exports than domestic demand. The construction purchasing managers index in Euroland sank 1.5 points in August, sliding […] More
Unorthodox Appointments, Service Sector PMIs, and an Early Market Close in the United States
July 3, 2019
The dollar recorded scant net change Wednesday aside from 0.6% declines against the Australian and New Zealand dollars. Share prices fell 1.1% in China and 0.5% in Japan but were buoyed in Europe and the United States by some unexpected key appointments that investors are perceiving as a harbinger of more forceful easy money policies. […] More
Stronger Dollar, Weaker Stocks, and Four Central Bank Meetings
April 25, 2019
The dollar advanced overnight by 0.4% against the yuan and peso, 0.3% relative to the euro, 0.2% versus the Swiss franc, sterling and Australian dollar, and 0.1% vis-a-vis the loonie. One currency against which the dollar fell was the yen, which climbed 0.3%. Share prices dived 2.4% in China to a 3-week low on continuing […] More
Swedish Riksbank
February 13, 2019
Swedish Riksbank has not had a positive repo rate since a 25 basis point cut to zero percent in October 2014. That had been followed by additional reductions of 10 basis points in February 2015 and July 2015 and of 15 bps each in March 2015 and February 2016. But at this past December’s review, […] More
Policies Driving Currency Markets as More Evidence Emerges of Slower Global Growth
February 13, 2019
Industrial Production in the euro area fell 0.9% in December, more than double the expected slide after a 1.7% drop recorded in November. This resulted in a 4.2% 12-month rate of decline, the biggest on-year contraction since November of 20o9. December output among the common currency bloc’s five largest economies fell from end-2017 levels by […] More
First Swedish Monetary Policy Rate Hike since 2011
December 20, 2018
The Swedish Riksbank Executive Board raised its repo rate from -0.50% to -0.25%, marking the first rate hike since July 2011 and the first change since a 15-basis point cut in February 2016. The rate has been zero percent or lower since October 2014. A statement from the Board doesn’t anticipate another rate hike until […] More
Softer Dollar on the First Day After the Fed’s Rate Hike
December 20, 2018
Markets did not take comfort from Wednesday’s FOMC interest rate hike or the upbeat economic prognosis of Chairman Powell. The dollar fell overnight by 0.6% against the euro, 0.5% relative to the yen and Swiss franc, 0.4% vis-a-vis sterling, 0.3% versus the Australian dollar, and 0.2% against the yuan and loonie. Share prices fared poorly […] More
European Equities Helped by Softer Euro
October 24, 2018
European equities have partly recovered today in spite of disappointing Euroland, German and French preliminary purchasing manager survey findings for October. One support for European share prices may be the strengthening dollar, which is trading 0.6% higher against the euro and sterling as well as 0.3% up on the Swiss franc. President Trump expressed some […] More
Swedish Riksbank
July 3, 2018
Sweden’s repo rate was kept at negative 0.50%, and a new statement from the Executive Committee did not change previous forward guidance that a gradually rising trend is likely to begin late this year. One dissenting committee member wanted a 25-basis point hike now, and another favored saying such would occur in September or October. Projected […] More
