Sweden central bank leaves rate unchanged

STOCKHOLM, Nov 23 (AFP): Sweden's central bank on Thursday left its key rate unchanged at four per cent, after a year and a half of successive hikes aimed at reining in inflation. The Riksbank joins the US Federal Reserve and European Central Bank which also paused their rate hike campaigns at their latest policy meetings inflation has slowed.

The Swedish central bank said in a statement that while inflation has fallen it was "still too high", and it was "prepared to raise the policy rate further if inflation prospects deteriorate."