Text
stringlengths
6
555
Date
stringclasses
43 values
Code
stringclasses
43 values
Tag
stringclasses
6 values
Section
stringclasses
2 values
Number
float64
0
4.2
Topic
float64
Label
stringclasses
6 values
The high inflation is being felt by households with small margins in particular.
29/06/2023
Jun-23
par_body
null
null
null
negative
But inflation is also problematic for the economy as a whole.
29/06/2023
Jun-23
par_body
null
null
null
negative
Against this backdrop, it is extremely important that it falls back to 2 per cent within a reasonable period of time, so that confidence in the inflation target can be maintained.
29/06/2023
Jun-23
par_body
null
null
null
hawkish
And now there are several signs that developments are moving in the right direction.
29/06/2023
Jun-23
par_body
null
null
null
positive
Global market prices for commodities and energy have fallen substantially.
29/06/2023
Jun-23
par_body
null
null
null
negative
Consumer prices for energy and food, which have earlier risen rapidly, are now falling and contributing to the slowdown in inflation.
29/06/2023
Jun-23
par_body
null
null
null
negative
CPIF inflation continued to fall in April and May and is somewhat lower than expected.
29/06/2023
Jun-23
par_body
null
null
null
negative
It now amounts to 6.7 per cent, according to the most recent outcome for the month of May.
29/06/2023
Jun-23
par_body
null
null
null
negative
Underlying inflation, measured as the CPIF excluding energy, has also been slowing down for some time.
29/06/2023
Jun-23
par_body
null
null
null
negative
But here the decline is slower.
29/06/2023
Jun-23
par_body
null
null
null
neutral
CPIF inflation excluding energy is now 8.2 per cent according to the most recent outcome for the month of May, which is marginally higher than the Riksbank's previous forecast.
29/06/2023
Jun-23
par_body
null
null
null
negative
Although inflation is falling, it is still far too high, and the picture of how prices will develop going forward is not clear.
29/06/2023
Jun-23
par_body
null
null
null
negative
Some indicators point to prices rising at a slower pace, for instance, prices at earlier stages of production and plans for price increases in the National Institute of Economic Research’s Economic Tendency Survey.
29/06/2023
Jun-23
par_body
null
null
null
neutral
On the other hand, the outcome for May showed that service prices are increasing faster than expected, which could reflect continued high demand pressures in parts of the Swedish economy.
29/06/2023
Jun-23
par_body
null
null
null
negative
Although household consumption has fallen substantially recently, the demand for services has been maintained relatively well, which means that service prices are expected to continue to increase relatively rapidly for some time to come.
29/06/2023
Jun-23
par_body
null
null
null
neutral
In addition, the household sector as a whole has had access to large savings after the pandemic, which could be used for consumption (see also Chapter 3).
29/06/2023
Jun-23
par_body
null
null
null
neutral
Services account for almost 50 per cent of the CPIF.
29/06/2023
Jun-23
par_body
null
null
null
neutral
The continued rapid increase in service prices follows an international pattern and points to risks that inflation both in Sweden and abroad may linger at a high level (see figure 3).
29/06/2023
Jun-23
par_body
null
null
null
negative
The conditions for inflation to fall back are improved by inflation expectations having continued to fall (see figure 4).
29/06/2023
Jun-23
par_body
null
null
null
positive
The fact that long-term expectations have been close to the target despite inflation rising sharply is a sign of the strength of monetary policy.
29/06/2023
Jun-23
par_body
null
null
null
neutral
The Industrial Agreement was clear confirmation that the social partners have considerable confidence in the inflation target.
29/06/2023
Jun-23
par_body
null
null
null
neutral
However, the settlement also includes a clear expectation that if necessary the Riksbank should continue to adjust monetary policy to bring down inflation within the fairly near future, so that real wages can begin to increase again.
29/06/2023
Jun-23
par_body
null
null
null
hawkish
The fact that the high inflation is a major socioeconomic problem has also made its mark on fiscal policy.
29/06/2023
Jun-23
par_body
null
null
null
neutral
The Government has clearly communicated that the proposed reforms shall not hamper the Riksbank’s ambition to bring down inflation.
29/06/2023
Jun-23
par_body
null
null
null
neutral
The Riksbank's forecast assumes that fiscal policy will not on the whole affect the prerequisites for bringing down inflation significantly.
29/06/2023
Jun-23
par_body
null
null
null
neutral
Monetary policy needs to be tightened further
29/06/2023
Jun-23
sub_sec_title
null
1.2
null
hawkish
Companies’ price plans dampening but at a slow pace
29/06/2023
Jun-23
par_title
null
null
null
neutral
Both the Tendency Survey of the National Institute of Economic Research and the Riksbank's Business Survey show that the price plans have been dampened, although this is mainly in the manufacturing sector.
29/06/2023
Jun-23
par_body
null
null
null
negative
Among the companies in household-related sectors, price plans are still clearly elevated (see figure 5).
29/06/2023
Jun-23
par_body
null
null
null
negative
Depreciation of the krona counteracts downturn in inflation
29/06/2023
Jun-23
par_title
null
null
null
negative
Following the previous monetary policy decision, the krona exchange rate has reached the weakest levels since the financial crisis 2008–2009.
29/06/2023
Jun-23
par_body
null
null
null
negative
The Riksbank has previously identified two main possible explanations for the weak krona.
29/06/2023
Jun-23
par_body
null
null
null
neutral
Firstly, financial turmoil tends to reduce demand for currencies in small open economies like Sweden.
29/06/2023
Jun-23
par_body
null
null
null
negative
And secondly, interest rates over the past year have risen more abroad than in Sweden, which reduces the relative return on krona investments.
29/06/2023
Jun-23
par_body
null
null
null
neutral
A third factor highlighted by currency analysts is international investors’ unease regarding the interestrate sensitivity in the Swedish economy, linked to the problems in the real estate sector and the highly indebted households.
29/06/2023
Jun-23
par_body
null
null
null
neutral
Set against this are the fact that the Swedish banks are profitable and well-capitalised and are well-placed to manage a worse situation.
29/06/2023
Jun-23
par_body
null
null
null
neutral
Nor have there been any significant fluctuations in financial prices recently that can be connected to risks in the Swedish banking system.
29/06/2023
Jun-23
par_body
null
null
null
neutral
Moreover, Sweden has very strong public finances, which also reduces the risks in the economy as a whole.
29/06/2023
Jun-23
par_body
null
null
null
neutral
The Riksbank’s forecast that the krona will strengthen going forward is based on an assessment of the real exchange rate’s long-term level (see further in Chapter 3).
29/06/2023
Jun-23
par_body
null
null
null
neutral
The Riksbank's assessment is that the development of the krona is neither the main reason for the upturn in inflation last year, nor the factor that will determine whether inflation falls going forward.
29/06/2023
Jun-23
par_body
null
null
null
neutral
However, relationships based on data from when inflation was low may have led to the pass-through from changes in the krona exchange rate to inflation being underestimated.
29/06/2023
Jun-23
par_body
null
null
null
neutral
The fact that companies have had a greater tendency to pass on their cost increases to consumer prices when inflation is high probably also applies to cost increases due to the weak krona causing import prices to rise
29/06/2023
Jun-23
par_body
null
null
null
neutral
The Riksbank's Business Survey also mentions the krona as an important factor behind planned price increases at consumer-related companies.
29/06/2023
Jun-23
par_body
null
null
null
neutral
The fact that the krona has depreciated – and is expected to be weaker in the coming years, in relation to the assessment in April – contributes to raising the forecast for inflation and thereby also the need for monetary tightening.
29/06/2023
Jun-23
par_body
null
null
null
hawkish
But there is considerable uncertainty regarding both the future krona exchange rate and its pass-through to inflation.
29/06/2023
Jun-23
par_body
null
null
null
neutral
Section 1.4 describes a scenario where inflation is higher than expected, due to a combination of a weaker krona and a greater pass-through to inflation.
29/06/2023
Jun-23
par_body
null
null
null
negative
It is also important to point out that Sweden has a floating exchange rate, combined with an inflation target.
29/06/2023
Jun-23
par_body
null
null
null
neutral
The Riksbank therefore has no target for the Swedish krona exchange rate.
29/06/2023
Jun-23
par_body
null
null
null
neutral
Policy rate raised by 0.25 percentage points to 3.75 per cent
29/06/2023
Jun-23
par_title
null
null
null
hawkish
In April, the Riksbank communicated that the interest rate would probably be raised by 0.25 percentage points in June or September.
29/06/2023
Jun-23
par_body
null
null
null
hawkish
Despite inflation falling, it is still far too high.
29/06/2023
Jun-23
par_body
null
null
null
negative
Underlying inflation measured as the CPIF excluding energy is declining at a slower pace than CPIF inflation, which is linked to the strong growth in service prices.
29/06/2023
Jun-23
par_body
null
null
null
neutral
To ensure that inflation continues downwards and stabilises around the target within a reasonable period of time, monetary policy needs to be tightened further.
29/06/2023
Jun-23
par_body
null
null
null
hawkish
The Executive Board has therefore decided to raise the policy rate by 0.25 percentage points to 3.75 per cent.
29/06/2023
Jun-23
par_body
null
null
null
hawkish
The forecast is that the policy rate will be raised at least one more time this year and after that will remain at a contractionary level for a relatively long period of time (see figure 6).
29/06/2023
Jun-23
par_body
null
null
null
hawkish
However, there is still considerable uncertainty regarding how much monetary policy tightening will be required for inflation to fall and stabilise close to the target of 2 per cent.
29/06/2023
Jun-23
par_body
null
null
null
neutral
But the Riksbank will do what is required.
29/06/2023
Jun-23
par_body
null
null
null
hawkish
New information and how it is assessed to affect the economic outlook and inflation prospects will be decisive in determining the monetary policy stance.
29/06/2023
Jun-23
par_body
null
null
null
neutral
The Riksbank extends the sales of government bonds
29/06/2023
Jun-23
par_title
null
null
null
hawkish
In April, the Riksbank initiated sales of government bonds at a value of SEK 3.5 billion per month.
29/06/2023
Jun-23
par_body
null
null
null
hawkish
The sales have functioned well, with good demand from the market.
29/06/2023
Jun-23
par_body
null
null
null
positive
The Executive Board assesses that it is appropriate to increase the pace of the normalisation of the Riksbank's balance sheet somewhat, by extending the sales from SEK 3.5 to 5 billion per month with effect from September this year.
29/06/2023
Jun-23
par_body
null
null
null
hawkish
If the sales continue at the pace now decided, and other bonds are kept until maturity, the asset holdings will amount to just below SEK 150 billion at the end of the forecast period (see figure 7).
29/06/2023
Jun-23
par_body
null
null
null
neutral
The yields on Swedish government bonds are still unusually low in relation to the expected policy rate (see also Chapter 2).
29/06/2023
Jun-23
par_body
null
null
null
neutral
The Riksbank assesses that increased sales of government bonds will contribute to a slight rise in government bond yields, but that the pass-through to deposit and lending rates to households and non-financial companies will be limited.
29/06/2023
Jun-23
par_body
null
null
null
neutral
The measure will also increase the amount of safe and easily marketable assets in the Swedish market.
29/06/2023
Jun-23
par_body
null
null
null
neutral
It may make it easier for foreign agents to invest in Swedish assets and also improve the functionality of the financial markets.
29/06/2023
Jun-23
par_body
null
null
null
positive
All in all, this can contribute to a stronger krona and improve the Riksbank’s capacity to reduce inflation.
29/06/2023
Jun-23
par_body
null
null
null
neutral
The Riksbank is not planning to sell its holding of non-government bonds.
29/06/2023
Jun-23
par_body
null
null
null
neutral
If monetary policy needed to be tightened further, increases in the policy rate are the main and most effective tool.
29/06/2023
Jun-23
par_body
null
null
null
hawkish
Sales of government bonds should be characterised by predictability and contribute to a gradual normalisation of the Riksbank's balance sheet.
29/06/2023
Jun-23
par_body
null
null
null
neutral
Economic activity slowing down and inflation falling towards the target
29/06/2023
Jun-23
par_title
null
null
null
negative
Demand in the Swedish economy needs to dampen to enable inflation to fall back towards the target within a reasonable period of time.
29/06/2023
Jun-23
par_body
null
null
null
negative
The policy rate is now at a level that is contractionary, which contributes to the expectation that GDP will fall somewhat going forward, while the employment rate declines (see figure 8).
29/06/2023
Jun-23
par_body
null
null
null
negative
Together with an expected strengthening of the krona in the coming years, this will help CPIF inflation to fall back and be close to the target in 2024.
29/06/2023
Jun-23
par_body
null
null
null
positive
It will take a little longer for inflation measured as the CPIF excluding energy to come close to 2 per cent (see figure 9).
29/06/2023
Jun-23
par_body
null
null
null
neutral
The forecasts are described in more detail in Chapter 3.
29/06/2023
Jun-23
par_body
null
null
null
neutral
Continued high uncertainty regarding the economic outlook
29/06/2023
Jun-23
sub_sec_title
null
1.3
null
neutral
There are several factors that make economic developments abroad and in Sweden uncertain.
29/06/2023
Jun-23
par_body
null
null
null
neutral
Ultimately, these factors can also affect Swedish inflation prospects and the Riksbank’s monetary policy.
29/06/2023
Jun-23
par_body
null
null
null
neutral
A significant economic effect of the war was a substantial rise in electricity and food prices last year.
29/06/2023
Jun-23
par_body
null
null
null
negative
Global market prices for commodities and electricity prices have fallen back substantially recently, but developments in the coming years are still uncertain.
29/06/2023
Jun-23
par_body
null
null
null
neutral
There is also uncertainty regarding climate and weather with regard to food prices.
29/06/2023
Jun-23
par_body
null
null
null
neutral
Southern Sweden and parts of Europe are already experiencing droughts, which could cause food prices to rise faster again later this year.
29/06/2023
Jun-23
par_body
null
null
null
negative
The international banking turmoil that arose in March has decreased further since the monetary policy meeting in April.
29/06/2023
Jun-23
par_body
null
null
null
neutral
Signs of a tightening of financial conditions have primarily been visible in the US economy, and the problems in foreign banks have had a relatively small impact on financial markets in Sweden.
29/06/2023
Jun-23
par_body
null
null
null
neutral
The focus in Sweden has instead been to a greater degree directed at the highly indebted commercial real estate sector.
29/06/2023
Jun-23
par_body
null
null
null
neutral
Some companies have recently encountered difficulties as a result of the rising interest rates.
29/06/2023
Jun-23
par_body
null
null
null
negative
There are considerable differences between different real estate companies, however, and those with lower leverage are better equipped to deal with higher interest rates.
29/06/2023
Jun-23
par_body
null
null
null
neutral
Moreover, the banks are well placed to continue ending to robust companies, and many real estate companies are now taking measures to reduce indebtedness.
29/06/2023
Jun-23
par_body
null
null
null
neutral
But in a bad scenario, the problems in the highly indebted commercial real estate companies can lead to more serious negative consequences for financial stability and thereby also for developments in the real economy.
29/06/2023
Jun-23
par_body
null
null
null
negative
The Riksbank has for a long time been pointing out that Swedish households have become more sensitive to interest rates than before.
29/06/2023
Jun-23
par_body
null
null
null
neutral
This is due to their increased indebtedness and the short interest-rate fixation periods on their mortgages.12 But despite the short interest-rate fixation periods, the policy rate hikes implemented so far have not fully impacted all households with mortgages (see a more detailed description in Chapter 2).
29/06/2023
Jun-23
par_body
null
null
null
neutral
There is a risk that household demand will slow down more than expected when the interest hikes take full effect.
29/06/2023
Jun-23
par_body
null
null
null
negative
The household sector as a whole built up large savings during the pandemic that have been used to sustain consumption.
29/06/2023
Jun-23
par_body
null
null
null
positive
But as there is no up-to-date microdata on how households’ savings are distributed, it is difficult to assess how households will adapt their consumption to the rising interest rates.
29/06/2023
Jun-23
par_body
null
null
null
neutral
One factor that could lead to unexpectedly high demand is the stronger-than-expected development of the Swedish labour market over the past year.
29/06/2023
Jun-23
par_body
null
null
null
neutral
If this development continues and the employment rate is maintained, it could lead to disposable incomes, and therefore also demand, probably being higher than in the Riksbank’s forecast.
29/06/2023
Jun-23
par_body
null
null
null
positive
One sector of the Swedish economy that has already been affected fairly substantially by the Riksbank’s policy rate hikes is the housing market.
29/06/2023
Jun-23
par_body
null
null
null
negative
Housing prices have fallen by almost 15 per cent from the peak at the beginning of 2022.
29/06/2023
Jun-23
par_body
null
null
null
negative