Swedish Riksbank
Investors Hopeful about A Path to an Enduring Deal Between the United States and Iran
May 7, 2026
The softer dollar, stock market rallies and lower long-term interest rates that have occurred this week rest heavily on the premise that political leaders in the United States and Iran now have strong incentives to strike a deal after absorbing considerable pain from their ten-week-old war, rising energy costs and voter disapproval of President Trump […] More
Middle East Takes a Turn for the Worse, Forcing Monetary Authorities Around the World to Wait and See
March 19, 2026
The Strait of Hormuz remains essentially closed to shipping traffic, and Israel and Iran have escalated the race to destroy Middle Eastern energy facilities as thoroughly as possible. Brent crude briefly hit $119 per barrel, and West Texas Intermediate continues to hover a bit above $97. The escalating conflict has ripped up the script on […] More
Dollar Modestly Lower
January 29, 2026
Fed Chairman Powell’s press conference yesterday elicited a subdued reaction in financial markets. Typical of the end of each month, there is an extensive menu of data getting released around the world today and tomorrow. Relative to Wednesday closing levels, the dollar has slid 0.2% or less against a variety of currencies including the euro, […] More
Equities Lit Up By Surprisingly Low U.S. CPI Reading
December 18, 2025
Released U.S. consumer price data for November this Thursday overshadowed a continuing parade of scheduled central bank interest rate decisions, with the greatest impact directed at stock markets in Europe and the United States. There had been atypically high uncertainty about what the CPI release would show due to the U.S. federal shutdown-related lull in […] More
Central Bank Rate Decisions in Poland, Sweden and Georgia
November 5, 2025
The National Bank of Poland’s policy interest rate experienced its fifth 25-basis point cut of 2025 today and has now dropped altogether since September 2023 by a total of 250 basis points. Polish CPI inflation of 2.8% in October was down from 5.0% a year earlier and a peak of 18.4% in February 2023. A […] More
Swedish Riksbank’s Eighth Interest Rate Cut Since May 2024 but the Last One for Some Time to Come
September 23, 2025
In Sweden where core CPI inflation of 3.2% exceeds the 2% target by the most in 19 months, the Riksbank Executive Board surprised analysts with a 25-basis point interest rate cut to 1.75% today. In justifying their decision, officials opined that “new information has given further reassurance regarding the assessment that the high inflation is […] More
Swedish Interest Rate Cut
June 18, 2025
The Swedish Riksbank’s rate cut from 2.25% to 2.0% had been widely expected. It was the first change since a 25-basis point cut in January. At 2.0%, the new rate is half the peak of 4.0% from September 2023 to May 2024 and at its lowest level since November 2022. Swedish monetary officials are likely […] More
Central Banks and Inflation Data in the Forefront this Wednesday
June 18, 2025
The Federal Reserve’s interest rate announcement, updated forecasts and press conference due this afternoon are not the only central bank dog-and-pony shows for investors to absorb. They already have learned of unchanged interest rates in Indonesia, Chile and Georgia, as well as a 25-basis point rate reduction by officials at the Swedish Riksbank. The Federal […] More
Central Bank Interest Rate Decisions Today in the U.K., Norway, Sweden, and Malaysia
May 8, 2025
The Bank of England’s base rate was reduced by another 25 basis points to 4.25%. This was the fourth quarter percentage point decline since August 1, 2024. Although the decision matched expectations, it belies the dispersion of opinions on the bank’s Monetary Policy Committee. Only 5-of 9 members, including Governor Bailey, favored the group’s decision. […] More
Central Bank Roll Call
March 20, 2025
The immediate sigh of relief by market participants — expressed in higher share prices and a retreat of the 10-year Treasury yield — to yesterday’s Federal Reserve show quickly wore off during overnight hours. Less emphasis has been attached to the unchanged Fed signal of likely two interest rate cuts later this year and to […] More
