Swedish prices fall in January
INFLATION in Sweden has edged up, but still remains negative.
Inflation – as measured by the year-on-year change in the consumer price index – was minus 0.2 per cent in January, up slightly from December’s reading of minus 0.3 per cent.
“This is a second upside surprise to inflation in the space of two months but we expect Riksbank [Sweden’s central bank] policy to maintain a distinctly dovish bias in the period ahead,” said economist Colin Bermingham from BNP Paribas.
The Riksbank cut interest rates to a record low of minus 0.1 per cent last week and launched an asset purchase programme worth £780m.