Sweden’s Steady Economic Growth Backs Riksbank Hold Plan

Sweden’s economic growth slowed as expected at the end of last year with rising investment and household consumption likely keeping its central bank in a wait-and-see mode over the months ahead.

Gross domestic product rose 0.5% in the three months through December from the previous quarter when output grew a revised 0.8%, according to seasonally adjusted data published by Statistics Sweden Friday. The fourth-quarter figure was just above the median estimate of analysts and the Riksbank’s forecast published in December, both 0.4%.