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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY * The Riksbank is unanimously expected to hold the policy rate
at 1.75% on Thursday. Focus will be on whether the policy statement reiterates
the message from the June rate path, or makes an additional hawkish tweak in
response to slightly higher-than-expected inflation outturns and a recovery in
activity metrics. * Given the August decision does not include an updated set of
forecasts (only a concise Monetary Policy Update document), the Board may opt to
note that risks to the June rate path are skewed to the upside, but refrain from
making any quantitative assessments on the likelihood of a rate hike later this
year. * Such a stance could still disappoint market pricing though. At the time
of writing, there are ~35bps of hikes priced through December 2026 and 83bps
through December 2027. With the policy rate currently at the lower end of the
Riksbank's 1.5-3.0% nominal neutral rate estimate, a normalisation towards the
middle of that range (i.e. 2.00-2.25%) makes sense in the context of an
improving growth outlook and underlying inflation moving gradually back towards
target. However, a more aggressive tightening response still seems at odds with
current conditions. * Analysts are unanimous in expecting rates to remain at
1.75% in August, but divided on when (or if) a hike will be delivered.
Aug-19 07:28