BUZZ-COMMENT-Sweden's Riksbank could surprise the market

Reuters09-09

Sept 9 (Reuters) - A half-point interest rate cut shouldn’t be ruled out when the Riksbank holds its next policy meeting on Sept 24-25.

Swedish inflation is low, core prices rose 1.7% in July - below the 2.0% Riksbank target, and a further drop in CPIF is expected when August inflation data is released later this week. A Reuters poll consensus is for annual CPIF to hit 1.3% in August while the central bank estimate is for an unchanged 1.7% return.

A warm August brought negative electricity prices within the Nord Pool, a leading power market in Europe. Combined with lower fuel prices the electricity price drop is likely to lower CPIF by around 0.2%.

The flip side to the good inflation news is a deteriorating labour market and fragile economic growth.

The Riksbank is expected to cut three more times this year, taking its key interest rate to 2.75%. With EUR/SEK beginning to trend higher, a 25-basis point rate cut this month might be the safe bet but there is an outside chance of a 50-basis point drop followed by two further 25-basis points cuts before the year is out. 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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