May 3 (Reuters) - A better look to the Norwegian crown Friday, helped by a steady Norges Bank hand and expectations of a Riksbank rate cut, has made the divergence play versus the SEK more attractive.
The only surprise from today's Norges Bank rate decision and accompanying rhetoric was the degree of hawkishness and the higher for longer hints, pointing to rates being held beyond September.
However, Norwegian inflation is coming down, albeit still some distance from the central bank's 2.0% target. The crown remains weak, but the Norges bank's hawkish stance should help limit further losses.
A widely expected rate cut from the Riksbank next week should give potential for NOK/SEK to push ahead. The Viking cross is looking technically bullish and a test of the 200-day moving average, currently 0.9980, is on the cards.
A late Thursday NOK/SEK recovery from a 0.9848 low formed a hammer candlestick, a bullish pattern. Confirmation of the signal today, helped by the Norges bank's policy line, should set the cross on a bullish course next week. For more click on
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(Peter Stoneham is a Reuters market analyst. The views expressed are his own)
((peter.stoneham@thomsonreuters.com))
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