Sweden
Riksbank paper examines mixed forecast performance
Researchers find the central bank has tended to be overly optimistic on foreign economic performance, but makes similar errors to other institutions
Riksbank attacks government's amortisation proposals
Sweden’s central bank strongly criticises aspects of government proposals to cool the housing market; says measures threaten the independence of Swedish macroprudential regulator
Riksbank unleashes further easing
Central bank hopes extended asset purchase programme and commitment to keep rates lower for even longer will help reinforce a gradual upward trend in growth and inflation
Riksbank floats new collateral limits
Swedish central bank looks to limit the amount of covered bonds pledged as collateral for intraday credit; assessment suggests limited impact on banks
Swedish economists add voices to criticism of leaning against the wind
Current and former Riksbank deputy governors Martin Flodén and Lars Svensson warn against the large rate hikes necessary to address financial stability concerns
Sveriges Riksbank strikes $500 million swap deal with National Bank of Ukraine
Sweden’s central bank could sell up to $500 million over the next six months under the agreement, despite one deputy governor objecting to its acceptance of the responsibility
Riksbank is working on ‘big data’, says Skingsley
Deputy governor speaks to Central Banking about bringing together experts on big data, the possibility of leaning against the wind, risks in the housing market and more
Negative rates working as planned, says Riksbank’s Cecilia Skingsley
Transmission of negative rates is working well and there is room to ease further, deputy governor says, despite the possibility of unwanted side effects; changing inflation target a ‘bad idea’
Swedish regulators press government for clearer powers
Heads of Riksbank, FSA and National Debt Office call for government to speed up implementation of new legislation on macro-prudential powers, but minister says it could take until next year
Swedish deputy wants macro-pru tools for non-banks
Policy-makers must develop new macro-prudential tools for addressing risk in the non-banking sector, warns Sveriges Riksbank’s Cecilia Skingsley
Riksbank launches app as drive to publicise new notes and coins accelerates
Central bank’s first smartphone app helps public identify counterfeit banknotes and features voice-over by Stefan Ingves; part of communications push ahead of new banknote and coin series
Riksbank minutes reveal concerns over negative rates
Deputy governor voted against rate cut amid fears of unintended consequences, and others admitted the cut would send the Swedish economy deeper into uncharted territory
Swedish authorities pin down structural factors driving growth in household debt
The rise in home ownership and a favourable tax system are probably contributing to the growth in household indebtedness, report finds, as Riksbank continues to urge action
Riksbank cuts key rate and expands QE to curb krona risks
Swedish central bank cuts repo rate to -0.35% and will buy additional 45 billion krona worth of government bonds to prevent stronger currency or Greek collapse from derailing inflation
IMF paper says ‘one size does not fit all’ with macro-prudential frameworks
Working paper examines use of macro-prudential policy in Hong Kong, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Singapore and Sweden
Riksbank paper measures impact of debt-to-income limits
Report weighs the costs and benefits of debt-to-income limits, finding they can be effective in tackling debt and are likely to have a ‘relatively small’ macroeconomic effect
Assessing risks from household debt is a complex task, Riksbank study finds
Economic commentary says risks in household sector seem high, but assessing them properly depends on a host of factors that keep changing and data that may not be available
Riksbank launches streamlined financial stability report
Shorter, more focused report aims to send clearer message to readers; follows close on the heels of a redesigned monetary policy report
Riksbank risk survey flags concern over easing impact
Respondents warn of a slight deterioration in the outlook for financial stability after launch of further monetary easing, including higher levels of risk and lower liquidity
Riksbank deputy debates inflation target change
Cecilia Skingsley weighs up case for both lowering and increasing target; notes it would be easier to change target if several central banks did it at the same time
CPI not ideal for comparing inflation rates, research finds
Economist at Sveriges Riksbank says CPI is a good measure of inflation but is ‘not well suited’ to making international comparisons of inflation rates
Legal questions force Swedish FSA to scrap amortisation rule
Financial Supervisory Authority suspends its plan to force households to pay down their mortgages over time in response to doubts over its mandate; Ingves says policy still needed
People: New deputy in Pakistan; BoE’s Cornish leaves PRA
State Bank of Pakistan promotes chief economic adviser; founding board member of the Prudential Regulation Authority steps down; Uruguayan governor and deputy confirmed; and more
Riksbank’s new approach to nowcasting reviewed
Article in Economic Review evaluates the forecasting performance of a dynamic factor model adopted by Sweden's central bank, finding it a useful addition to its suite of tools