News

Henrik Westman has been appointed Acting Head of Corporate Communication at SEB, as Frank Hojem will go on parental leave. Henrik starts at SEB today, 12 April. 

Nordea has announced that it is closing its sub-custody business. Thus SEB is the only remaining larger regional actor in the Nordic market.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the economy continues to dominate macro analysis, say Håkan Frisén and Marcus Widén in Economic Insights for April.

Petra Ålund, head of SEB's technology division, about how the division works to attract more women and the benefit of mixed groups.

SEB moved ahead of its main competitor in this year’s Prospera ranking for fixed income in Sweden. Other competitors are well behind the leading duo in the ranking.

As long as there is spare capacity and low inflation, fiscal and monetary stimulus can continue. SEB economists Håkan Frisén and Daniel Bergvall analyse the situation.

Notice is hereby given by the Issuer to the Noteholders that the Issuer will redeem certain Notes in full.

SEB hits a grand slam in a recent Prospera study focusing on banks’ sustainability advice. SEB comes up on top in Sweden, Finland and Denmark and is also rated number in one in total, among both companies and institutions in the Nordic region.

Trade in carbon dioxide emission allowances has become a key strategic issue for industry and SEB is therefore starting to offer carbon market research.

“After working in the Ministry of Finance and negotiating the new sustainability rules, it felt natural to come out to have a chance to work with them in practice,” comments Åsa Knudsen Sterte.

SEB acted as lead manager when The World Bank raised the equivalent of $440 million in Sustainable Development Bonds, focusing on gender equality and health.

SEB joins the Responsible Ship Recycling Standards, RSRS, a joint bank initiative for ensuring environmentally and socially responsible dismantling and recycling of ships.

SEB Greentech VC, the unit that SEB created in the autumn to invest in green technology, is now making its second investment.

SEB’s Family Office offering, which was recently ranked as the best both in Sweden and the Nordics, is now also highlighted in an article in the international financial magazine Forbes. 

SEB acted as sole sustainability structuring advisor and joint bookrunner when H&M on Thursday issued a sustainability-linked bond of EUR 500 million.

SEB and the Finnish industrial group Wärtsilä have together carried out a ground-breaking test of secure data sharing between companies in Trade Finance. 

SEB Private Banking has taken home key awards in this year’s Euromoney survey. 

SEB Greentech is now making its first investment in the Swedish company EnginZyme, which has developed a technology for sustainable chemical production.  

SEB expands its business toward large corporate customers to Switzerland, Austria and the Netherlands.

SEB’s fund company SEB Investment Management now strengthens the sustainability policy and raises the ambition level regarding sustainability for its entire fund range. 

SEB rejects the TV program Kalla Fakta’s allegations that the bank has violated its own policy not to finance new coal energy.

In a new white paper, SEB's Thomas Thygesen presents the case for "transition arbitrage" and explores what this means for different sectors, investors and the global economy.

The operating profit for the fourth quarter 2020 amounted to SEK 6.4bn with a return on equity of 12.2 per cent and a Common Equity Tier 1 capital ratio of 21 per cent. 

Last year the Federal Reserve changed its monetary policy principles. The Fed is now prepared to accept inflation a bit above its 2 per cent. SEB's Head of Economic Forecasting Håkan Frisén comments on the changes.

Katarina Jonsson has been appointed head of SEB’s international network and Peter Lauridsen has been appointed head of Institutional Banking. 

SEB served as joint sustainability coordinator and bookrunner when the Norwegian shipping company Odfjell issued a sustainability-linked bond on Thursday. 

Nadia Humphreys of Bloomberg and Karl-Oskar Olming of SEB have co-authored and published blog post “Applying the EU ESG taxonomy to your investments, how to start?”.

SEB’s emerging markets economist Per Hammarlund in a filmed presentation projects a broadly positive development there in 2021.

The SEB Impact Opportunity Fund helps finance solar home-systems in four African countries through its collaboration with US-based social company Greenlight Planet.

After several deadlines, the UK and the EU seem to finally have reached an agreement on life after Brexit. SEB's Robert Bergqvist and Marcus Widén have looked at the deal.

 SEB economists Håkan Frisén and Marcus Widén look into the crystal ball to see what lies ahead for 2021. What will happen to growth, and will inflation make a comeback?

SEB's China Financial Index rebounded sharply this autumn after dropping to its lowest level on record in the spring.

SEB has signed the Poseidon Principles, joining a group of world leading shipping banks in a new global framework for responsible ship finance. 

Robert Bergqvist has chosen to step down from his role as SEB’s Chief Economist  and will assume a new role as Senior Economist within the bank.

SEB has been involved in the development of Contour, a global blockchain-based platform for trade finance transactions.

For the first time since 2014 SEB earned a number one ranking in the Nordic countries when large corporates rated their banks in Prospera’s latest customer survey.

SEB has launched a new ESG assessment methodology that quantifies how environmental, social and governance factors affect companies’ financial performance. 

SEB has decided on new goals to reduce the bank’s own climate impact and will through climate compensation reach a net effect of zero already from 2021.

Stricter exclusion criteria for all funds is some of the progress that SEB’s fund company SEB Investment Management highlights in its latest report on sustainability and active ownership. 

SEB's Chief Economist Robert Bergqvist and US economist Elisabet Kopelman here answers 15 questions related to the 2020 US elections.

SEB’s Estonia branch has granted a loan of 1.7 million euros to energy company Sunly for the construction of solar parks .

A bit away from the spotlight, the national wage round resumed in early October, with the high ambition that industrial employers and unions should reach agreement before the end of the month. Håkan Frisén and Olle Holmgren comments on the wage round. 

On Sunday, 1 November, SEB and non-profit organisation Pink Programming for the second year will hold a programming event together. This time the event is digital .

The operating profit for the third quarter 2020 amounted to SEK 5.9bn with a return on equity of 11.7 per cent and a Common Equity Tier 1 capital ratio of 19.4 per cent. 

For the second year in a row SEB earned a top ranking in commissioned research. This was shown in a fresh Prospera survey. 

SEB’s head of sustainability strategy and policy, Karl-Oskar Olming, has been selected as a member of the European Commission’s new expert group that will continue the work on developing the EU’s sustainability strategy.

SEB is among 137 financial institutions calling on high-emitting companies to commit to climate action in line with the Paris agreement by setting science-based emissions reduction targets.

Today, Swedish television broadcast a programme about leaked so called suspicious activity reports (SARs), in which SEB is mentioned. Here is the bank’s comment.

SEB comments the leak of so-called suspicious activity reports from banks around the world that an international journalist network has published.

On Monday, September 21, the Swedish government will submit its 2021 budget bill to Parliament. Håkan Frisén och Daniel Bergvall comments in Economic Insights.

SEB is among more than 500 institutional investors that have demanded that the world’s largest greenhouse gas-emitting companies put in place strategies to reach net-zero emissions.

SEB acted joint lead manager in the issuance of Sweden’s first sovereign green bond, which was completed on Tuesday. 

An independent judging panel for the PRI Awards 2020 has selected SEB Investment Management for its shortlist in the ESG incorporation initiative of the year category.

SEB is investing in London-based fintech company Thought Machine, the provider of a cloud-native core banking platform, as it raises an additional 42 million US dollars.

SEB provides its assessment of a decision by Sweden's FSA to issue remarks and a fine regarding the bank's routines and processes to counter money laundering in its Baltic subsidiary banks.

The operating profit before items affecting comparability for the second quarter 2020 amounted to SEK 5.6bn with a return on equity of 11.2 per cent and a Common Equity Tier 1 capital ratio of 17.8 per cent.

SEB is one of five banks with a mandate to execute the sale of Sweden’s first sovereign green bond of approximately SEK 20 billion kronor. 

On July 9, SEB Investment Management, alongside other international institutional investors, was invited to a meeting with the Government and Central Bank of Brazil.

SEB has together with Credit Agricole CIB arranged the issuance of a vaccine bond of  2 billion Norwegian kroner. The money will be used to accelerate the development of a covid-19 vaccine.

SEB's Microfinance Funds and the bank's Impact Opportunity Fund have invested 1.3 billion Sri Lankan rupees (7 million US dollars) in their first green bond.

How does SEB view the criticism from the Swedish Financial Authority? Here are questions and answers on the decision. 

SEB has served as a structural adviser for the global mobility company Daimler in the creation of a green financing framework.

SEB Investment Management is part of a group of international investors that in an open letter has urged EU leaders to ensure a sustainable economic recovery from COVID-19. 

Malin Brant-Lundin has assumed her position as global head of Employer Branding in HR, with responsibility for strengthening the bank’s brand as an employer. 

The rails are now being laid for the new Nordic payments infrastructure that will be implemented in the coming years. 

A new updated Corporate Sustainability Policy has been adopted by SEB's Board of Directors.

SEB will deepen the cooperation with the thinktank Ownershift, which recently resulted in a campaign aiming to contribute to increased female ownership.

Following the presentation of SEB's quarterly report, CEO Johan Torgeby in a filmed interview comments how the bank works to support customers and gives his view on the future.

The operating profit for the first quarter 2020 amounted to SEK 3bn with a return on equity of 6 per cent and a Common Equity Tier 1 capital ratio of 16.8 per cent.

SEB’s innovation studio SEBx works closely with Swedish solopreneurs and has recently asked a large number of them to participate in a survey about how they’re coping with the current crisis and what kind of support they could be looking for.   

Monday the WTI contract for delivery in May traded down to -40 USD/barrel at its lowest, closing around -37 . Our oil analyst in Oslo explains why.

SEB has arranged the issuance of a health bond of SEK 11.5 billion. The bond is part of the World Bank's health program with focus on supporting the member states' ability to prevent, detect and respond to the spread of covid-19.

The number of coronavirus-related frauds are increasing. But keeping a few things in mind, you are able to protect yourself and your organisation.

SEB has supported medical technology company Getinge in issuing Covid-19 commercial paper to finance a production increase of advanced ventilators. .

Despite very serious developments around us, with tragic consequences for many, we are cautiously optimistic about the prospects for economic recovery, says Johan Hagbarth in this Extra Market Commentary.

SEB’s traditional insurance has invested in a new bond that aims to alleviate the social and economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

SEB’s President and CEO Johan Torgeby gives an update on the socioeconomic effects of the corona crisis and the bank’s actions to support its customers.

Read about Dominga Colmán, one of 6.6 million entrepreneurs in emerging countries that has been able to develop their business with money from SEB’s second microfinance fund.

As the COVID-19 pandemic spread continues, we are seeing increasingly
widespread lockdowns, with extremely fast and negative effects on economies and growth. To offset this, unprecedented stimulus packages by central banks as well as governments are being unveiled. 

The COVID-19 pandemic has rapidly changed forecasting conditions. Due to lockdowns around the world, a deep economic recession is inevitable, says SEB's Håkan Frisén, Head of Economic Forecasting, in an updated forecast. 

SEB has arranged the issuance of a social bond of SEK 3bn. The money will support underserved communities in developing countries, including countries affected by the coronavirus. 

The spread of the coronavirus and its effects are continuing to impact the world’s
financial markets. Yet for long-term investors, we still see good reasons to
wait out the turmoil, says Roger Törnkvist and Pernilla Busch in a market commentary. 

“We have strong mutual trust. SEB has shown a keen interest in our business, and we have an open and honest dialogue,” says Martin Kommes, CFO of Klädesholmen Seafood AB.

“As a bank we have a great societal responsibility and must make sure that the customers who need it get support, help and strength to weather the storm we are facing,” comments Johan Torgeby, SEB’s president and CEO, in an interview where he speaks about what the bank does to protect operations and keep open for customers.

The WHO has declared the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak a pandemic. Roger Törnkvist and Pernilla Busch comment on the course of events.

SEB is continuing to closely monitor developments with respect to the new coronavirus and has taken a number of precautionary measures to ensure the continuity of our business and safeguard the health of our customers and employees. 

In a new marketing campaign, SEB puts the spotlight on female ownership by highlighting the fact that women in Sweden own a significantly lower proportion of land, property and stocks than men.

Growing coronavirus concerns and plunging oil prices are shaking global stock markets, and the risks of a sharp economic slowdown or recession have climbed.

”An outstanding winner of 5 years performance and an overall better performance than average”. This is part of the motivation from the jury when SEB Sverigefond Småbolag C/R was awarded best small cap fund in Morningstar Fund award today Monday March 9.

EU has launched a taxonomy that points the way for solving the climate crisis. SEB’s Marie Baumgarts was a member of the group that developed the taxonomy.

“The enormous power that is being unleashed as the financial sector embraces sustainability is something that will ensure profitability and minimise risk,” says Eva Karlson, CEO of Houdini.

How can a fair recruitment process be created? Perhaps part of the answers lies in what the recruitment firm TNG calls prejudice-free recruitment – a concept which SEB now applies for its trainee and tech programs.

SEB is the first bank to enter into a collaboration with Nordic Smart Government, an initiative from the Nordic ministers of commerce aimed at simplifying daily life for small and medium-sized enterprises.

SEB’s head of Economic Forecasting Håkan Frisén and Investment Strategist Johan Hagbarth answer nine questions on the coronavirus’s impact.

SEB's economists often get the same three questions about inflation targets, measurement methods and housing prices.

Niklas Magnusson, former Bureau Chief for Bloomberg News in Stockholm, has assumed the role as Group Press Officer at SEB.

The way SEB handled a challenging IT migration in Denmark has paved way for large inflows in sub-custody and top scores from customers.

To many people, digital transformation is all about technology. A recent article in The Banker however argues it starts and ends with people. SEB is featured as one bank that is ahead of the curve in realising this.

The blockchain-based trade finance platform Contour recently launched its network in Singapore. SEB is the only Nordic bank in the partnership behind. 

The operating profit for the fourth quarter 2019 amounted to SEK 7.1bn with a return on equity of 15.5 per cent and a Common Equity Tier 1 capital ratio of 17.6 per cent. 

SEB has been named one of the world's 100 most sustainable companies by the Canadian media and analysis company Corporate Knights.

Mathias Appelblad has been appointed Global Creative Director. This newly instated role will help steward the journey of the brand into the future. 

SEB was named best bank overall in 2019 when Kantar Sifo Prospera interviewed 192 financial institutions across the four Nordic countries.

SEB has completed the divestment of the minority shareholding in LR Realkredit A/S to Nykredit Realkredit A/S. 

AS SEB banka (SEB Latvia) and the Latvian Financial Supervisory Authority, Financial and Capital Market Commission (FCMC), have reached an agreement to conclude a supervisory review regarding SEB Latvia’s implementation of the fourth Anti Money Laundering directive (AML4) from 2017 as well as a single case connected to the European Union’s sanction list. SEB will pay an administrative fee.

In our daily work we regularly detect deviations that we handle and report to the financial police when there are suspicions of money laundering. We do this today, and we have done this historically, in accordance with applicable regulations. 

With SEB as lead manager, The World Bank has launched its first green bond denominated in Danish kroner (DKK).

Kristian Skovmand has been named global head of Investment Banking within SEB’s division Large Corporates & Financial Institutions. 

Several Nordic banks have scaled back their international operations, but not SEB. “Our customers can trust that our strategy remains firm", says Carl Christensson,

This year SEB has climbed to the top position in a survey of real estate companies and property management companies with operations in Sweden conducted by Kantar Sifo Prospera.

The operating result for the third quarter 2019 amounted to SEK 5.9bn and return on equity, excluding items affecting comparability, was 13.2 per cent.

SEB is ranked at the top in commissioned research. This was shown in a fresh Prospera survey in which more than 90 buyers of commissioned research ranked their providers.

SEBx is entering into a partnership with the fintech company Thought Machine to use its cloud-based core banking engine Vault, as part of the SEBx technology platform. 

The next step is now being taken towards the creation of the P27 Nordic Payments Platform, the Nordic region’s first payment system for real-time payments. 

SEB’s President and CEO Johan Torgeby was present at the UN on Sunday evening when the Principles for Responsible Banking were launched.

SEB has recruited Gustav Radell as new Global Marketing Director. He is currently Head of Consumer & Brand Marketing Northern Europe at Google.

In connection with World Water Week in Stockholm, on Monday SEB together with the organisation Water.org hosted a reception to highlight the link between water and finance.

SEB has committed to complying with the UN initiative Principles for Responsible Banking. This means that the bank undertakes to continuously strengthen its positive impact on society in accordance with the UN Development Goals.

The global economy is seeing a noticeably pessimistic bond market and increased uncertainty due to trade and geopolitical issues, write SEB's economists in a new issue of Nordic Outlook.

Do you think it is profitable to solve the world’s problems? If so, you are part of the target group for the new Lyxor SEB Impact Fund.

SEB - a workplace where employees can grow and develop.

Sweden’s next national wage round begins soon − with the aim of putting collective agreements in place well before the current ones expire next year. In Economic Insights, Håkan Frisén and Olle Holmgren analyzes the process.

“It is incredibly enlightening to live and work in another country," says Niklas Eliasson, who is serving as a link between the Swedish operations and SEB's Kuala Lumpur IT development team.

SEB assisted Air Baltic Corporation, Latvia’s leading airline company, in successfully placing 200 million euros worth of five-year bonds.

Trade tensions have affected Nordic and German companies active in China negatively, but business there so far this year was still good, shows a new survey.

SEB acted as joint lead manager in the issuance of a 600 million Norwegian kroner bond that will help accelerate vaccination programs for children in some of the world's poorest countries.

Beginning in July it will be possible for SEB customers in Sweden to view information from all of their banks in one and the same place.

The operating result for the second quarter 2019 amounted to SEK 6.1bn and return on equity, excluding items affecting comparability, was 13.9 per cent.

SEB and SAS are investing together in Combient mix, a new company recently spun off from Combient.

A Kantar Sifo Prospera survey of Nordic financial institutions and companies with externally managed capital of at least 200 million Swedish kronor places SEB in the top spot overall in the region.

The Institute of International Finance this week published a podcast where SEB’s CEO Johan Torgeby talks with its editor about Open Banking, Artificial Intelligence and more.

The bank-common P27 project, which aims to create a new payment infrastructure in the Nordic region, has established a partnership with Mastercard. 

SEB has now got its second industrial Ph.D. student the Wallenberg AI, Autonomous Systems and Software Programme (WASP). 

The European Commission’s Technical Expert Group (TEG) on Sustainable Finance published three new reports helping define what is environmentally sustainable. In the future this will affect SEB's customers.

Trust and technology must form the foundations of banking in the digital world, says CEO Johan Torgeby in an interview with PwC´s magazine Strategy & Business.  

SEB is one of three banks that together with Nokia will carry out a pilot test of a new system for automated handling of export documentation, aiming to make the process more efficient.

An entire team works on the same thing, at the same time, in the same space, and at the same computer. These are the principles of mob programming.

Patrik Karlsson, head of algorithmic FX execution, and SEB’s industry doctoral candidate Hanna Hultin, held one of the main talks at QuantMinds International, the world’s leading quantitative finance conference. 

Former trainees and Tech Program participants from SEB, Vattenfall, Siemens and Husqvarna met in SEB's premises to address some of the greatest challenges and opportunities within sustainability.

Martina Wallenberg will be Head of Open Banking, a new unit within SEB, which will coordinate and develop SEB’s offering and intake of products and services built on API technology.

Cooperation between the private and public sectors is essential to solve impending social challenges. That was the message at the first Social Investment Forum. 

The first step of Business Arena is now being launched, SEB’s new digital business platform for companies and institutions. 

The first step of Business Arena, SEB’s new digital business platform for corporates and financial institutions, is now being launched.

The impact of climate change on macro forecasts is highly uncertain and often double-edged, so any direct impact on monetary policy is unlikely.

Petra Ålund has been named as new head of Technology with overarching responsibility for both IT infrastructure and maintenance and development.

"I have had the privilege of working in three global financial centers. I think this experience enables me to be better in my current role", says Magnus Ward.

The operating result for the first quarter 2019 amounted to SEK 5.9bn and return on equity, excluding items affecting comparability, was 12.8 per cent.

On Monday, Swedish newspaper Svenska Dagbladet, published an article that criticises SEB's work against money laundering.

"Working in the international network provides a unique opportunity to see a microcosm of SEB, which is an excellent base for your future career", says Paula da Silva who has had several international assignments in both South America and the United States.

SEB and other Nordic companies led by Finnish energy company Fortum has initiated a pioneer project to create a marketplace for trading in certificates for the removal of carbon dioxide.

British oil company BP will aligning company strategy with the Paris Agreement after criticism from SEB and other investors. “This feels very good,” says SEB's Christina Strand Wadsjö.

SEB is setting up a new venture capital fund and going in as the largest investor. Frederick Johansson will be CEO of the new company.

Today, SEB and the other owner banks have entered into an agreement to sell Danish mortgage credit institution LR Realkredit A/S to Nykredit Realkredit A/S.

“It’s enlightening and enriching to live and work in an international environment,” says Hanna Langwagen, who works with transformation management at SEB Kort and who previously worked in the Insurance division in Dublin. 

“It’s important that the bank understands our business and our objectives”, says Magnus Billing, CEO of the Swedish occupational pensions company Alecta.

"It’s when times are tough that you really need a good banking relationship – a mutual trust and understanding for your business,” says Edvard Kälvesten, CEO of Silex Microsystems.

SEB participates in the Swedish co-lab pavilion at the large industrial fair in Germany April 1^st to 5^th.

SEB's first microfinance fund reached 6.1 million entrepreneurs – of which more than half were women – in 27 different emerging markets during the period July 2013 to August 2018.

The UK is – and will remain – a divided country for a long time to come, regardless of the outcome, says Richard Falkenhäll and Robert Bergqvist in Reflections for this week. 

SEB bring together representatives from Swedish and Nordic companies for a visit to Brazil and São Paulo.

Today SEB opens up the possibility for certified Third Party Providers (TPPs) to access real customer data.

ESMA will repay a fine of 495,000 euro to SEB after a board of appeals found the bank did not act negligently in its previous practice of expressing credit quality of corporate bonds

“Our relationship with SEB is solid. We have a good and uncomplicated cooperation,” says Dirk Baltzer, Senior Director Corporate Treasury of Germany’s KION Group.

“Personal relationships are the most important part of a banking relation – having a helpful contact person who can bring in various types of specialists when you need advice,” says Margareta Hagman, CFO of the Swedish healthcare company BioGaia.

SEB is increasing its investments as Fintech company Tink is raising EUR 56m to finance the expansion of its Open Banking platform in Europe. 

The operating result, before items affecting comparability, for 2018 was SEK 22.8bn (22.7) and return on equity 13.4 per cent (12.9). 

As the sole Swedish investor, SEB is investing in the Danish SDG Investment Fund – a fund that is contributing toward achievement of the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals by investing in developing countries.

On Thursday the Nordic Investment Bank for the first time issued a “blue bond”, with funding earmarked for protecting the sensitive marine environment in the Baltic Sea. SEB arranged the issue. 

A global network and an independent governance organisation tied to the Corda blockchain network are now being launched. 

SEB on 3 December introduced the speedy SWIFT gpi payment service on all its markets outside of Sweden. SEB already in June introduced the service in Sweden.

Next year blockchain will take the leap from hype to reality. That was the message at the blockchain firm R3’s Nordic conference, which was held at SEB in Arenastaden. 

Meet Adam Österman who works in SEB's Innovation Lab. He is driven by releasing innovation and creating new ways of working within the bank. 

On Friday 2 November, the results of the European Banking Authority's EU-wide stress test were published. 

SEB is establishing a new function, specialising in digital business models and strategies. Jan Amethier will head up the new unit.

SEB will split its Life & Investment Management division in two, enabling the bank to further strengthen its savings offering and better meet changing customer demands.

SEB appoints Nicholas Moch as CIO and Ausra Matuceviciene as responsible for automation in order to strengthen the digitalisation and automation agenda.

Operating income for the third quarter amounted to SEK 11.4bn (11.9). Compared to the third quarter 2017, operating income increased by 3 per cent. 

SEB is the only Nordic bank participating in the Voltron project which will develop a blockchain-based platform for document processing in trade finance. 

SEB offers no products nor participates in structures whose sole purpose is to avoid taxes, says SEB in a commentary on Friday's media reports that the bank carried out financial transactions in Sweden.

SEB has not offered or financed transactions in Germany for the purpose of recovering unpaid taxes. We distance ourselves from that type of arrangement, says  SEB in a comment on Thursday's media reports.

Pay increases in major advanced economies have speeded up in recent years. But in Sweden, we have not seen any similar pay acceleration, says Håkan Frisén and Olle Holmgren in this week's Reflections.

In December last year a reverse mentoring initiative started where members of SEB's Group Executive Committee were paired with a few of the bank's millennials to gain new perspectives. For Mats Torstendahl and Maria Bernstål, sales manager for the SME segment, it was a good match.

As opposed to before, the Swedish currency now has some defensive qualities and may therefore not fall in value and provide a cushion for the economy when the next slowdown arrives.

Joachim Alpen, co-head of Large Corporates & Financial Institutions at SEB, joins the board at the newly founded Stockholm Sustainable Finance Centre, SSFC. 

Sweden’s largest real estate company Vasakronan on 21 September issued the world’s first green certificates.

The IT Young Professional Programme, ITYPP, started 2008 to attract new competences to SEB. Kamil Herzog was one of the first to participate and still has a lot to thank the program for.

“The financial market has a key role to play in creating economic drivers that contribute to a sustainability shift. The better we are at this, the faster the transformation will take place”, says Karl-Oskar Olming, new Chief Sustainability Strategist at SEB.

The inability of the parties to deal with Sweden’s new political landscape will hinder the formation of a strong, decisive government, says Håkan Frisén and Daniel Bergvall in the Economic Insights on the Swedish election coming up.

Global import tariffs have trended downward for the past 30 years. But increased populism is fuelling protectionism. The trade war will intensify this autumn, foresees Chief Strategist Robert Bergqvist in his reflections for August. 

The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA), which monitors compliance with the EU Credit Rating Agency Regulation (CRAR), has issued SEB with a sanction of 495,000 euros.

Operating profit for the second quarter 2018 was SEK 10.7bn (5.3). Return on equity was 29.9 per cent (11.6) while return on equity before items affecting comparability was 16.5 per cent (11.6). 

Corda Enterprise is now being launched, the next step in the development of a scalable, global infrastructure based on blockchain technology.

Our AI Guild recently arranged the very popular AI Day here at Arenastaden. Hundreds flocked to hear both internal experts as well as invited profiled guests talk. Watch the film!

SEB now launches its Developer Portal for public use, welcoming developers to sign up and get access to the first APIs that are part of SEB's Open Banking journey.

This week SEB was enrolled in SWIFT gpi, a new, global payment service that will lead to faster speed, greater transparency and better tracking of cross-border payments.

Hans Christian Kjelsrud will join SEB as Head of Shipping & Offshore.He most recently held the position as Global Head of Shipping & Offshore at Nordea.

SEB´s head of Sustainability, Marie  Baumgarts, has been included in The European Commission's Technical Expert Group on Sustainable Finance.

In recent months the weak Swedish krona has generated a broad discussion about the consequences of monetary policy. Håkan Frisén and Olle Holmgren comments on it in Economic Insights for June.

Peter Branner, CEO of SEB Investment Management AB, has decided to leave SEB to take up a position with a company outside the Nordic region. 

SEB commits to support international voluntary recommendations on climate-related financial disclosure. The recommendations have been prepared by an industry-led working group, Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures, (TCFD) at the request of the G20 Financial Stability Board (FSB).

SEB has signed a statement of commitment to the FX Global Code, which will ensure a robust, fair and transparent currency market distinguished by high ethics.

The Danish Competition Council, Konkurrencerådet, on 30 May 2018 approved the sale of SEB Pension to Danica Pension.

The financial sector has a key role to play in contributing to the green transition, said  Marcus Wallenberg, at the Swedish-French conference on Green economy. 

SEB has signed a share purchase  agreement to sell its Fund Services business in Luxembourg to FundRock Management Company S.A. The business, including some 20 employees, will be transferred to FundRock, subject to regulatory approval.

This week SEB launched green mortgages. The new loans are available to anyone with housing that Sweden’s National Board of Housing, Building and Planning have assigned an A or B rating for energy efficiency.

Through SEB’s collaboration with fintech company Capcito the bank’s small business customers are offered a digital solution which provides simple access to a dynamic overdraft.

Operating profit before items affecting comparability for the first quarter 2018 was SEK 5.3bn (6.1). Operating profit for the first quarter 2018 was SEK 5.3bn (4.2). 

SEB has published its first Green Bond Investor Report, describing the environmental impact from SEB’s inaugural green bond, issued in February 2017.

How can the private sector contribute to the huge investments that need to be made in renewable energy and infrastructure? This was the main question at SEB’s customer seminar on Nordic infrastructure and renewable energy held last week.

“What’s most important is that you have mutual trust and can meet face to face – that you feel a sense of engagement and a partnership,” says Lotta Svensson, who together with her brother Anders Svensson runs building supply firm Woody Bygghandel Stockholm Syd.

A booming economy and solid central government finances have created room for an expansionary election budget; the “krona-by-krona” principle has been replaced by a splurge mentality, says Håkan Frisén and Daniel Bergvall in Economic Insights for April.

"Our partnership with SEB works well for our portfolio managers as well as for our administrative staff,” says Mikko Mursula, Chief Investment Officer of the Finnish mutual pension insurance company Ilmarinen.

Confidence and an understanding for each other’s business are the most important factors in a banking relationship. So says Professor Vladas A. Bumelis, founder and Chairman of Biotechpharma, a Lithuanian company that develops and manufactures biopharmaceutical products for the pharmaceutical industry. 

After 20 years of marriage, Göran and Eva Brandt came to an impasse and decided to divorce. A year later they changed their minds and began searching for a new home together. It was then they met with their current bank adviser, who really made an impression.

No major economic effect from Trump's tariffs, and no further US action is main scenario, writes SEB’s Chief Economist Robert Bergqvist.

“What’s most important in a banking relationship is a long-term perspective, partnership and an interest to join us on our journey of growth.” So says Pia Aaltonen-Forsell, CFO of the industrial group Ahlström-Munksjö. 

Excluding items affecting comparability the operating result was SEK 22.7bn and return on equity 12.7 per cent. 

In cooperation with Danish venture capital fund SEED, SEB is investing 30 million Danish kronor in fintech company Cardlay.

Today, we congratulate Finland to a 100 years of independence. 

SEB has the sector’s highest overall performance when the largest companies in the Nordic countries rate their bank relationships. This is the result of Prospera’s annual survey of customer satisfaction.

SEB is now taking another step towards a more open banking world. On the new website, developer.sebgroup.com, developers can register their interest in creating new solutions when SEB shortly make the first open interfaces available. 

SEB's Swedish Housing Price Indicator declined by 39 points, from an elevated 50 in October to only 11 in November. This is the second largest drop in the history of the series.

SEB’s Head of Info, Architecture & Strategy, Nicolas Moch, was presented a Supernova Award for the way the bank uses artificial intelligence in its digital customer service. 

Nordic public sector releases detailed framework for how to illustrate the actual impact of the projects financed. SEB acted as a key advisor during the development of the position paper.

The operating profit for the third quarter 2017 was SEK 5.4bn (5.7). Compared to the third quarter 2016, operating profit increased by 3 per cent. Return on equity was 12.1 per cent (13.2).

SEB is expanding its ownership in fin-tech company Tink as that company is opening up for technological cooperation with additional partners.

On Monday the Swedish FSA granted SEB permission to acquire parts of the German subsidiary.

SEB is involved in and is exploring the future of financial services in the “Internet of Things”. This work is being conducted in close collaboration with several of the bank’s industrial corporate customers.

SEB has initiated a project with Nasdaq to test a new fund trading platform based on blockchain technology.

SEB is going in as a part-owner in the fintech company Capcito. The company offers an online service through which companies can gain access to dynamic operational financing based on their cash flow and underlying accounts receivable.

In this week’s Reflections SEB economists Robert Bergqvist and Daniel Bergvall ask and answer 13 questions about the German election and consequences for the rest of the world. 

Sweden's central bank should adjust their policies to avoid a crisis, say SEB economists Robert Bergqvist and Håkan Frisén in an op-ed piece.

“It was not at all as rigid and hierarchical as I had feared. The atmosphere was very open, and everyone has been so friendly,” says Frederikke Kragerud, an intern at SEB this summer.

“It will be exciting to be able to focus entirely on making SEB a more data-driven company,” she says. “Data is the heart of the bank, and that heart beats for its customers", says Salla Franzén, newly appointed Chief Data Scientist at SEB. 

During her studies she specialised in intelligent systems, but when she started at SEB in 2008 she hardly thought she would have any use for it. “It’s incredibly fun to be able to work with what you have a passion for,” says Erica Lundin, Head of the Aida Center of Excellence since February.

“As the Trump drama continues, with unclear implications for geopolitics and US fiscal policy, we will turn more focus on the future of Europe and monetary policy”. SEB´s chief economist Robert Bergqvist foresees an exciting start of the autumn, in a short comment.

Over the last three years, SEB has nominated 64 board candidates. 39 of them were women. This means that SEB has reached the gender equality target set by the government during the election.

SEB, together with eleven other leading trade finance banks, has developed a prototype to modernise international trade using distributed ledger technology.

SEB’s Chief Economist Robert Bergqvist has compiled four questions and answers related to a decision by Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Löfven’s to reshuffle the government.

With great passion and a humble yet ambitious mindset – this is how Johan Torgeby, SEB’s CEO since March, wants to lead the Bank. 

At the end of May SEB began reporting how much carbon dioxide the Bank’s equity funds emit in relation to their benchmark indices. 

Nasdaq Stockholm has decided to imposed a fine on SEB. The decision is related to SEB’s communication of former CEO Annika Falkengren’s resignation from SEB.

The operating profit for the second quarter 2017 was SEK 5.7bn (5.5) and return on equity 13.2 per cent (12.2). Excluding items affecting comparability, which occurred in 2016, return on equity was 12.7 per cent (11.7).

SEB's Chief Strategist Johan Javeus have compiled 10 questions and answers that examine the debts and financial situation of Swedish households.

The Swedish financial supervisory authority, Finansinspektionen, has issued a remark and an administrative fee of SEK 12 million to SEB for an error in the transaction reporting of bonds and other financial instruments during a couple of years.

Unfortunately the number of frauds increase and the imposters use yet more sophisticated methods. Here are some important points to look out for.

SEB's fund management company this week published a list of about 40 additional companies that it intended to exclude when making investments. The news drew great attention and created a lot of positive response, but also negative reactions.

From June 12, all companies that violate international standards for the environment, corruption, human rights and labor law will be removed from SEB's funds.

SEB's microfinance funds today reach 18 million entrepreneurs in developing countries. The fifth fund was recently closed – fully subscribed.

SEB economists Robert Bergqvist and Richard Falkenhäll present 11 questions and answers that try to explain the consequences of Britain's election result.

70 international IT developers attended SEB's first internal Hackathon. Within 24 hours, 15 teams coded a great variety of product and system prototypes. 

SEB has taken part in the establishment  of a new FX Global Code, which aims to ensure a robust, fair and transparent currency market distinguished by high ethics. 

SEB has recruited Martin Nilsson as new head of Securities Research. He most recently held the position as head of Equity Research at Nordea.

SEB's microfinance funds will be shown as a good example of how Sweden works for Agenda 2030 and to achieve the UN's Sustainability Development Goals. 

SEB takes part ownership and becomes the biggest Nordic investor in newly formed blockchain company R3, which develops infrastructure for financial services based on principles behind the blockchain.

The operating profit for the first quarter 2017 was SEK 5.5bn (5.6) and return on equity 12.2 per cent (12.2). Excluding items affecting comparability, which occurred in 2016, return on equity was 11.7 per cent (11.8).

The European Union is at an existential crossroads, as the United Kingdom prepares to leave the EU. SEB´s economists Robert Bergqvist and Richard Falkenhäll list 14 questions and answers about the process.

Last week’s Dutch election provided new perspectives on how the 2016 political upheavals in the United States and United Kingdom will affect Europe, writes SEB's Håkan Frisén.

With seven new pharmacies and sales growing nearly three times faster than the market, Katre Kõvask, CEO of Estonian pharmacy chain Südameapteek, can look back on a good year.

Samsung this week announced the launch of Samsung Pay in Sweden. As one of the first banks in Sweden, SEB enables customers to add their cards into the service. 

SEB's contacts are easy to deal with, they act with agility and low bureaucracy and have a proactive approach, says Teo Ottola, CFO for Konecranes. 

The interplay between economics and politics was undoubtedly a dominant feature of analyses during 2016. As we know, it was difficult to foresee both election results and their economic consequences. 

The love of boats and birds has followed him through life. Anders Parrow, 91, likes to visit the bank, but is also fond of internet and mobile banking.

SEB is creating a separate financial furrow to channel capital into green projects. Friday 10 February, the bank issued its first green bond of 500 million euros.

One sat in a cottage in Värmland, the other in a garage in Norrköping. The vision was to democratise the creation of 3D graphics.  In January, the company was purchased by Microsoft as part of their strategic focus on "3D for All".

SEB moves up from place 42 to number 6 and is named “Best climber in Europe” in the communication company Comprend’ s yearly ranking of corporate websites in Europe. 

SEB, as the only Nordic bank, and a group of 18 other international banks and asset managers have agreed on Principles for Positive Impact Finance. 

Excluding items affecting comparability the operating result was SEK 20.3bn and return on equity 11.3 per cent. The operating result for 2016 amounted to SEK 14.9bn (20.9) and the return on equity was 7.8 per cent.

Annika Falkengren has informed the Board of Directors that she wishes to resign from SEB.

Web cast press conference 9:30

Audio telephone conference web cast 14:00

Fondmarknaden.se, Sweden's largest marketplace for funds, this week named the best funds for 2016. An SEB sustainability fund won in the Best Ethical fund category. 

SEB climbs to first place in Prospera´s annual customer satisfaction survey among financial institutions in the Nordic region. 

On December 21, Sweden’s Riksbank will announce its last monetary policy decision of 2016, amid a changing global scene, writes Håkan Frisén in Reflections of the week.

SEB, through its Ventures unit, is investing 10 million Swedish kronor in fintech outfit Leasify.

SEB is making significant progress in Prospera's annual survey of customer satisfaction among large companies.

SEB will invest 15 million Swedish kronor  in Now Interact. "We believe their technology has great potential," says Senior Investment Manager Ulf Lewander.

Many are taken by surprise by the outcome of the US presidential election. See SEB´s experts in a filmed conversation on what can be expected both for the world economy and for investors.

The American president election is over. Here are 19 questions and answers, with political, financial market and economic conclusions for the US, the world and Sweden. 

SEB has signed an agreement with Ripple, a San Francisco based fintech company, to use their solution for building payment solutions based on blockchain technology.

SEB was recently awarded as Best Private Bank in Sweden, the Nordics and the Baltics. "These are truly collective awards and an inspiring receipt that we manage to convey our strong holistic offering for customers", says Martin Gärtner, Global Head of SEB Private Banking.

The Swedish national wage round has now started up again; given the current mainly one-year collective labour agreements, there was not much breathing room after the last round early in 2016.  Håkan Frisén analyses the development in Economic Insights.

Operating profit for the third quarter was SEK 5,229m (5,536) and return on equity 12.3 per cent. 

Klas Eklund, Senior Economist Sustainability at SEB, talks about India's current situation, it's challenges and why he thinks India can still become a sustainable superpower.

In PRI's annual grading of sustainable investments, including for example SEB's processes and ways of working, SEB received the top ratings for both its equity and its fixed income management for 2016.

Amelia, currently a digital employee at SEB's internal IT support, will soon also join the bank's customer service team.

Fiscal policy is being assigned a larger responsibility for economic performance as monetary policy has reached the end of the road, writes Robert Bergqvist, SEB's chief economist.

SEB Venture Capital has invested in Danish blockchain payment service provider Coinify.

On Friday 29 July, the results of the European Banking Authority's 2016 stress test were published.

Excluding a one-off item of SEK 520m, the transaction of SEB’s Visa memberships in the Baltic countries, operating profit for the second quarter was SEK 5,016m (4,493) corresponding to a return on equity of 11.9 per cent. 

From 1 July, SEB's fund companies are taking a stricter approach to companies involved in thermal coal extraction, and increases the work of influencing energy-related companies with high dependence on coal as an energy source.

Several questions arose following Britain’s referendum on EU membership. The answers will be crucial to the future and the strategies of both the UK and the EU, write SEB economists Robert Bergqvist and Richard Falkenhäll.

The political situation is messy, both in the UK and the EU. The next few weeks will be crucial to resolve the crisis, says SEB's Chief Economist Robert Bergqvist in a filmed comment.

The world has been plunged into unknown – mainly political – territory after voters in the United Kingdom chose by a narrow margin to say NO to continued European Union membership. Here are 24 questions and answers about what happens now.

Newsweek magazine has included SEB at place 37 in its ranking of the greenest companies in the world, making the bank the best performer among Nordic companies.

SEB's economists have compiled a list of questions they get from Swedish and international customers regarding the UK referendum on continued EU membership.

Today there are media reports claiming that SEB has contributed to tax schemes using offshore companies arranged by former subsidiary LWM. Finnish public service broadcaster YLE gives a completely false picture of this activity and Swedish media refer to YLE's report.

Excluding one-off items amounting in total to SEK 5,949m, operating profit for the first quarter was SEK 4,493m (5,505) and a return on equity of 10.1 per cent.

Despite today’s slowdown, Indonesia has interesting underlying strengths that could make it one of the world’s most important economies, says SEB’s Chief Economist Robert Bergqvist.

On Saturday night, 19 March, once again the light in many parts of the world will be turned off at 20.30 – 21.30.

SEB’s Annual Report for 2015 is now available.

SEB will provide 76 million euro in financing to help build Europe’s largest onshore wind power project to date in central Norway. 

SEB's carbon emissions fell 54 per cent 2008-2015, outperforming a 45 per cent target. Now the bank aims to further reduce emissions by 20 per cent until 2020.

Annual General Meeting in Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken has been held on Tuesday, 22 March 2016 at 13.00h. (CET) at Stockholm Concert Hall, Hötorget, Stockholm. 

Find all AGM documents 

Mwangi Githaiga, president of Kenya Women Microfinance Bank, explains how micro-loans can improve living conditions for women in Kenya.

SEB full year 2015 - operating profit SEK 20,865m (23,348)
Fourth quarter 2015 - operating profit SEK 5,505m (6,557)

SEB’s Annual Accounts 2015 will be announced on Thursday, 4 February, at 07:00 (Swedish time).

Fondmarknaden.se has named SEB Best fund company and SEB Europafond Småbolag- Lux utd Best European fund. Peter Branner, head of Investment Management at SEB, comments.

China’s equity markets closed prematurely again on Thursday after falling over 7 per cent. SEB’s Sean Yokota answers seven questions about what is happening.

The Swedish Riksbank governor has renewed and intensified his threat of currency interventions. SEB’s Chief Economist Robert Bergqvist gives his view on the issue.

The Federal Reserve decided on Wednesday to raise the target range for its key interest rate by a quarter percentage point to 0.25-0.50 per cent.

SEB joins the Paris Pledge for Action, where major cities, regions, companies and investors promise to quickly and effectively help implement the Paris Agreement.

SEB recognises the importance of limiting the average global temperature rise and has revised and thereby strengthened its Climate Change Position Statement.

The Banker and PWM named SEB best private bank in Sweden and the Baltic countries at the Global Private Banking Awards event on November 4 in Singapore.

Within the framework of United Nations’ Environmental Program, SEB and nine other banks around the world have issued a Positive Impact Manifesto.

Operating income in the third quarter amounted to SEK 10.1bn, compared to an operating income for the third quarter last year of SEK 12.7bn, including the one-off item.

SEB is the only Nordic bank to join Distributed Ledger Group, an international banking cooperation to explore the block chain technology used in crypto currency Bitcoin.

Annika Falkengren’s role on Volkswagen´s Supervisory Board has been questioned in Swedish media. SEB Chairman Marcus Wallenberg comments.

SEB’s Annual General Meeting will be held on Tuesday, 22 March 2016.

SEB’s Chief Economist Robert Bergqvist has compiled 8 questions and answers related to the Federal Reserve’s announcement on September 17 that they keep the funds rate unchanged.

The Swedish government will choose a pragmatic solution in which it will not achieve either of its two main economic policy targets, says SEB economists Håkan Frisén and Daniel Bergvall in research note.

SEB comments on media reports in Denmark.

Concerns about Chinese growth prospects and a possible rate hike by the Federal Reserve are creating worries and helped push equity markets sharply lower on Monday August 24.

SEB has signed the Montreal Carbon Pledge, an international climate initiative. "For us as investors it is important to contribute to a more sustainable world," says Peter Branner, head of Investment Management, SEB.

SEB’s Swedish Housing Price Indicator was unchanged at 67 in August, one point below the all-time high from March this year, indicating prices will rise further.

SEB is number 12 on a list of the world’s strongest banks compiled by Bloomberg Markets magazine. Hong Kong based Hang Seng Bank is number one on the list.

Recent swings in Chinese A-share market is not a major cause of concern, but it can create some nervousness, says Hans Peterson, Global head of Asset Allocation at SEB.

The Greek Parliament approved the deal with the creditors. What happens now? SEB´s Chief economist Robert Bergqvist comments.

SEB is the first Nordic bank to offer customers a possibility to release surplus liquidity in Chinese currency for use in a global cash pool.

Reported operating profit in the second quarter amounted to SEK 5.3bn (SEK 5.3bn in the second quarter of 2014). 

House price expectations in Sweden close to record level, shows SEB’s Housing Price Indicator as it edged higher in July to 67 from 66 in June.

After the clear result in the referendum the Greek crisis has deepened further. Here are some common questions and answers about the situation.

Greece has taken a step back from the abyss and from a severe economic collapse, but is facing continued major challenges, comments Robert Bergqvist.

The prospects for a settlement have definitely improved over the past 24 hours. But we have not yet crossed the finish line, comments chief economist Robert Bergqvist.

The result of Tuesday´s negotiations will be a new summit on Sunday and a new “final deadline” to reach an agreement. SEB´s Robert Bergqvist comments. 

12 Q&As on the situation after Greece’s resounding “No” to new austerity measures from SEB´s Robert Bergqvist.

As expected Greece failed to make the payment to the International Monetary Fund (IMF). SEB´s chief economist Robert Bergqvist comments the development.

A Grexit unfortunately has high probability, but the majority of Greeks want to keep euros, which bodes well. SEB’s Chief Economist Robert Bergqvist summarises the latest in the Greek crisis.

Swedish households remain bullish on home prices as SEB’s Housing Price Indicator increased slightly in June to 66 from 65 in May.

Swedish house price sentiment remains very strong with SEB’s Housing Price Indicator down only slightly in May, for the second month running, to 65. 

The world economy is now being driven almost entirely by the actions of central banks, and there are risks with this strategy, write SEB's economists in a new Nordic Outlook.

Operating income in the first quarter amounted to SEK 11.6bn, an increase of 11 per cent compared to the same quarter 2014. 

SEB has launched a green bond fund that private individuals can invest in.

SEB’s Chief foreign-exchange strategist Carl Hammer projects the Swedish krona will appreciate over the course of 2015 and reach 9 kronor per euro at year-end.

The Swedish spring budget will be an initial test of how economic policy making will work. Major challenges lie further ahead, write SEB economists Håkan Frisén and Daniel Bergvall.

SEB’s Swedish Housing Price Indicator declined slightly to 67 in April, just slightly below to the record level of 68, reached last month. 

Rating agency Moody's has a positive outlook on SEB's long-term credit rating and may upgrade it one notch to Aa3 before the summer.

SEB’s Annual Report for 2014 is now available.

Annual General Meeting in Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken has been held on Wednesday, 25 March 2015 at 14.00h. (CET) at Stockholm Concert Hall, Hötorget, Stockholm.

Find all documents related to the Annual General Meeting

SEB’s Swedish Housing Price Indicator rose to a record high of 66 in February. 

Privata Affärer has named SEB Globalfond Lux the Global Fund of the Year. "Our carefully prepared investment process and clear goals are what got us here”, says team leader Ulrika Bergman.

The full year operating profit was 23.3 billion kronor and return on equity was 15.3 per cent.

SEB’s experts forecast the price of Brent crude oil will gradually rise and reach 70 dollars per barrel in the fourth quarter of 2015.

SEB led a recent ranking of Swedish banks by Fair Finance Guide and was included in both the Sustainability Yearbook 2015 and the Global 100. "We're on track," says Cecilia Widebäck West.

Monetary policy continues to play an overwhelmingly important role in currency markets, and only the U.S. Federal Reserve can stop the surging dollar.

SEB won in five out of 12 categories when Fondmarknaden.se, Sweden's largest marketplace for funds, named funds of the year 2014. SEB was also named best fund company 2014.

SEB’s Annual Accounts 2014 will be announced on Thursday, 29 January, at 07:00 (Swedish time). In addition, presentations and the Fact Book will be available. 

Demographic changes and a growing, labour-intensive service sector will help China cope with lower GDP growth, says SEB economist Andreas Johnson.

Russian GDP could fall by around 7 per cent in the current year if oil prices remain at current levels, say SEB's economists in new research note.

SEB’s Swedish Housing Price Indicator rebounded in January to 59 from 54 in December last year and remains at historically very elevated levels.

SEB’s Chief Economist Robert Bergqvist shares 18 reflections and conclusions that may provide some guidance for the new year.

SEB’s economists are cutting their forecast for Russia’s economic development significantly in the wake of recent financial stress and a lower forecasted oil price.

South Pole Carbon, a Swiss advisory firm, has granted SEB’s Ethical Sweden Fund its “Climate Impact Transparent Investment” label.

“Our issuance of green bonds has really taken off during 2014", says Bertrand de Mazières, from the European Investment Bank. On Wednesday he participated in a seminar on green bonds at SEB.

Annika Falkengren on Monday became the 26th recipient of the Lucia Trade Award from the Swedish-American Chamber of Commerce (SACC).

The Banker named SEB best bank 2014 in Sweden and all three Baltic countries at an award ceremony last week. SEB last won the recognition in 2012.

But support from continued monetary expansion and an increasingly solid recovery in the United States will help, say SEB's Chief Economist Robert Bergqvist and his colleagues in a new report.

SEB’s Chief Executive Officer Annika Falkengren this week delivered the laudatory speech at the award ceremony for European Banker of the Year in Frankfurt.

Sweden's financial regulator today presented new rules on amortisation of mortgages. They are slightly less aggressive than expected, say SEB's economists.

Customers from all SEB's markets have participated in a pilot test of the new version of C&I Online, SEB’s internet bank for large corporate and institutional customers. Soon everyone is invited.

In the past half year, chief financial officers in Finland have grown more cautious. That’s one key conclusion from the latest Deloitte/SEB CFO Survey in Finland.

For the fifth consecutive year, SEB has been awarded in The Global Private Banking Awards. This year as "Best Swedish bank for private banking services" as well as "Best provider of private banking services in the Baltics."

In Prospera’s most recent client survey, SEB maintained its position as the top adviser in Sweden and Finland when it comes to acquisitions, mergers and equity capital markets.

At 32 billion dollars, issuance volumes for green bonds so far this year are already three times higher than for all of 2013, according to data from Climate Bonds Initiative.

Joachim Alpen, currently Head of Markets, Merchant Banking, has together with Johan Torgeby, currently Head of Client Coverage, Merchant Banking, been appointed to jointly head the Merchant Banking division.

SEB's result for January – September 2014 will be announced on Thursday, 23 October, at 07:00 (Swedish time). In addition, presentations and the Fact Book will be available on www.sebgroup.com/ir.

SEB is making further enhancements in its global custody offering to financial institutions through accelerated investments in market-leading functionality and competence.

SEB is number nine on Bloomberg Markets magazine’s latest list of the world’s greenest banks. 

SEB’s Annual General Meeting will be held on Wednesday, 25 March 2015.

Annika Falkengren made it to number four in a ranking of the most powerful business women in Europe, Middle East and Africa made by Fortune, an American business magazine.

The financial position of Swedish companies is very strong today. At the same time, companies are clearly cautious about capital spending, according to the latest Deloitte/SEB CFO survey released this week.

In a postelection analysis, SEB’s Chief Economist Robert Bergqvist and head of Economic Forecasting Håkan Frisén lists 16 questions and answers about what Sweden can expect given the new parliamentary landscape.

Swedish households became even more optimistic on home prices in September from an already very high level. SEB’s Housing Price Indicator increased to 64 from 62, recovering the small setback in August.

Accelerating global growth is the most probable scenario in 2015, helped by an improved outlook in the U.S., U.K., China and India, write SEB's economists in the latest issue of Nordic Outlook.

SEB’s Housing Price Indicator for Sweden declined marginally in August to 62, from 64 in July. 70 per cent of households expect home prices to rise in the coming year.

SEB acted as a lead manager when Germany's KfW bank launched a 1.5 billion euro Green Bond this week, the largest single transaction in the segment to date.

Operating profit in the second quarter amounted to SEK 5.3bn (SEK 4.8bn in the second quarter of 2013).

After a temporary setback last month, the SEB’s Swedish Housing Price Indicator increased markedly in July to 64, only marginally below the all time high of 65 recorded in June 2007.

When the festivities around the World Cup in Brazil are over, the economy will still face numerous challenges, write SEB’s economists in a new report.

SEB’s result for the second quarter 2014 will be announced on Monday, 14 July, at 07:00 (Swedish time). In addition, presentations and the Fact Book will be available on www.sebgroup.com/ir.

SEB is number 9 on a list of the world’s strongest banks compiled by Bloomberg Markets magazine.

SEB’s Housing Price lndicator for Sweden declined slightly in June, but remained at elevated levels consistent with further rising home prices. 

SEB has signed an agreement to sell card acquiring company Euroline AB to Nordic Capital for 2.2 billion Swedish kronor on an enterprise value basis.

A challenging market environment requires selectivity and precision, and investors should hold back on return expectations, write SEB's experts led by Ann Grevelius in a new edition of Investment Outlook.

Sweden’s central bank is likely to make two cuts and bring the repo rate down to 0.25 per cent in the next six months, writes Håkan Frisén, head of economic forecasting at SEB, in a new Economic Insight.

Swedish home prices showed signs of accelerating in the beginning of the year and SEB’s Housing Price Indicator suggests that this trend may continue. 

The spring 2014 results of the Deloitte/SEB CFO Survey for Finland signal that the ailing outlook for the Finnish economy is not discouraging chief financial officers from finally building a healthy growth appetite.

One of SEB’s Swedish Ethos funds was labelled “Climate Impact Transparent Investment”. “This is a confirmation that we are doing the right things”, says fund manager Anette Andersson.

Operating profit in the first quarter amounted to SEK 4.9bn (SEK 3.7bn in the first quarter of 2013). 

SEB’s experts have made checks that show the bank’s systems and services are not affected by the Heartbleed bug.

SEB’s result for the first quarter 2014 will be announced on Friday, 25 April, at 07:00 (Swedish time). In addition, presentations and the Fact Book will be available on www.sebgroup.com/ir. 

SEB’s Housing Price Indicator inched higher in April from already elevated levels, to 55 (March 54). 65 per cent of households expect home prices to rise in the coming year.

Israel and Palestine have the potential to flourish economically. but the deadlocked political situation continues to prevent such development. SEB’s Chief Economist Robert Bergqvist shares his thoughts after a trip in the region.

The global picture is still mainly unchanged and downward adjustments in GDP forecasts are relatively marginal, says Håkan Frisén, head of economic forecasting, in a comment to SEB's recent macroeconomic updates.

SEB's Annual Report and Annual Review for 2013 are now published on the web.

The Corporate Sustainability Report for 2013 is published as well.

Additionally the SEB's Capital Adequacy and Risk Management report (Pillar 3) for 2013 is published.

Annual General Meeting in Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken has been held on Tuesday, 25 March 2014 at 13.00h. (CET) at Stockholm Concert Hall, Hötorget, Stockholm.

See all documents here

Read the press release here

SEB's Housing Price Indicator declined in February for the second consecutive month from 49 to 47, the lowest level since August last year.

Operating profit in the fourth quarter amounted to SEK 5.0bn (SEK 2.8bn in the fourth quarter of 2012) and the full year operating profit was SEK 18.1bn (14.2).

In co-operation with Estonia’s University of Tartu, SEB will help fund the introduction of knowledge-intensive solutions into everyday use.

SEB’s Annual Accounts 2013 results will be announced on Wednesday, 5 February, at 07:00 (Swedish time). In addition, presentations and the Fact Book will be available on www.sebgroup.com/ir.

Robert Celsing, head of SEB's foreign exchange and commodities unit, and Ann-Marie Lamb, a human resources expert in SEB's Merchant Banking division, were awarded for diversity efforts.

SEB’s Housing Price Indicators for Latvia and Lithuania in December rose to their highest levels since measurements began in March 2012.

SEB continued to be top ranked by Tier1 companies and institutions in Prospera’s 2013 Nordic Corporate Banking survey and in the Institutional Banking survey. Magnus Carlsson, head of SEB's Merchant Banking, comments.

SEB's Housing Price Indicator declined in January from 53 to 49, but remained around the highest levels since July 2007. 

Focus on defensive business strategies has risen to record highs, shows a new survey among CFOs in Finland done by Deloitte and SEB.

SEB's Housing Price Indicator for Sweden was unchanged in December at 53, the highest level since July 2007. 

In a pair of results, SEB defends leading positions in Prospera surveys on equities and corporate finance in Sweden, respectively. SEB also holds its top ranking in equities for the entire Nordic region.

In a new step for ‘green’ bonds, SEB helped Vasakronan issue the world’s first ‘green’ corporate bond.

“I feel extremely honored to receive this award. To me it is a tribute to all of SEB", said SEB´s CEO Annika Falkengren, when she received the award European Banker of the year for 2012.

SEB’s Swedish Housing Price Indicator in November reached 53, its highest level since July 2007. According to the underlying survey 64 per cent of the responding households expect house prices to rise.

At 4.6 billion kronor, SEB's third-quarter operating profit was 20 per cent higher than last year's third quarter. "We keep delivering on our business plan," says SEB's CEO Annika Falkengren.

SEB held its top ranking in Prospera's latest equity research house ranking for 2013. "We have also put a lot of heart and spirit into improving our research product offering over the past year," says Nicklas Fhärm, head of research for SEB in Sweden.

Audit and consulting firm EY on Friday handed SEB its Risk Transparency Award, for the best risk reporting in Swedish listed companies' annual reports for 2012.

SEB’s interim report January – September 2013 results will be announced on Thursday, 24 October, at 07:00 (Swedish time). In addition, presentations and the Fact Book will be available on www.sebgroup.com/ir.

While it declined slightly in October to 50, SEB’s Housing Price Indicator continues to signal rising prices. The indicator remains near the highest levels since July 2007.

SEB last month launched upgraded mobile banking services in Estonia and Lithuania. The new services work well for both smartphones and tablet computers such as the iPad.

Two top managers from SEB in Lithuania are among those who will offer their advice to entrepreneurs in rural parts of the country on national television starting in September.

SEB's Housing Price Indicator increased further to 51 in September, bringing the indicator to the highest level since July 2007, before the start of the financial crisis.

SEB and Germany’s KfW IPEX bank have together provided financing worth 84.5 million euros for 36 wind turbines at a power plant in northern Sweden. The two banks provided 50 per cent each of the loan.

SEB's Housing Price Indicator inched up to 45 in August, back to recent highs from spring, and up from 42 in July. A resilient labour market and rising equity prices thus continue to support sentiment in Sweden.

“SEB’s second quarter result is a testimony to the investments we have made over the past years in our franchise and broader customer base”, says Annika Falkengren, SEB’s President and CEO, commenting on the second quarter.

SEB is included in the FTSE4Good Index 2013. ""It confirms that our sustainability efforts are recognised and live up to high standards,” says Cecilia Widebäck West, head of Corporate Sustainability at SEB.

SEB’s half-year 2013 results will be announced on Monday, 15 July, at 07:00 (Swedish time). In addition, presentations and the Fact Book will be available on www.sebgroup.com/ir.

SEB’s Swedish customers can now log in to the online bank using electronic id software in mobile devices. “This is something customers have really asked for,” says Frida Garnefält, who works at SEB’s internet banking unit.

Annika Falkengren has been named European Banker of the Year for 2012. It is the first time someone from Scandinavia receives the prestigious award.

Financial Hearings Tuesday named SEB Sweden’s best equity research firm for the twelfth year running. Several equity analysts from SEB also won awards for their performance in various industry sectors.

Swedish households are now a tad less optimistic on housing prices, writes SEB’s Elisabet Kopelman in a research note about the Housing Price Indicator for June.

Capital markets are well on their way forward. Prices are moving upward in stock markets, reinforcing a sense of economic healing since the crisis years, says the latest issue of SEB's Investment Outlook report.

One neglected area within working capital with great potential is trade finance. Take control of the entire value chain to unlock savings,  says Lars Millberg, head of SEB’s Transaction Banking business area.

SEB’s Housing Price Indicator was stable at 45 in May after a string of four monthly increases.

The market sees 50 per cent likelihood the Riksbank will cut its rate in July. SEB’s economists believe the likelihood is much larger than that. SEB’s Chief Strategist Johan Javeus presents four new arguments why.

This week, SEB was a joint bookrunner for a European Investment Bank (EIB) Climate Awareness Bond issue which aims to support EIB lending to investors interested in climate protection.

First quarter 2013 – Operating profit SEK 3,717m (3,650)

The labour market continues to improve and real wage growth is expected to accelerate, say SEB’s experts in a new issue of Baltic Household Outlook. 

SEB's first quarter 2013 results will be announced on Tuesday, 23 April, at 07:00 (Swedish time).

During the financial literacy week SEB in Lithuania and Latvia invited school children to increase their financial knowledge through an online test. 

We expect commodity prices to bottom soon, creating the best buying opportunities within the next two months, say Filip Petersson, commodity strategist at SEB in a new report.

On Saturday, it's time for Earth Hour 2013, the WWF manifestation to reduce the use of resources and the global warming. SEB is participating also this year.

SEB has now published its sustainability report for 2012 on sebgroup.com. The report, which is the sixth since the start, describes how far the bank has come within eight prioritised areas.

SEB's Annual Report and Annual Review for 2012 are now published on the web.

Additionally the SEB's Capital Adequacy and Risk Management report (Pillar 3) is published.

Global growth is unlikely to be sufficiently strong to boost commodities prices generally, though many selective valuation opportunities remain, says Filip Petersson, strategist at SEB, in a new issue of Commodities Monthly.

Japanese investment trusts have started to look abroad for better returns on their investments compared to what the domestic market offers, writes Sean Yokota, chief strategist at SEB in Asia, in a report.

The notice for SEB's Annual General Meeting is now published!

We are now starting recruitment for our one-year trainee programme and hope to find 19 people in Sweden, Finland, Norway and Germany who want to join.

Full year – Operating profit SEK 14,235m (14,953)
Fourth quarter – Operating profit SEK 2,839m (3,061)

Global equity markets have performed strongly since the start of 2013 while most commodities markets have moved sideways at best. SEB’s commodities expert Filip Petersson sees little upside in the short term.

SEB’s most recent Baltic Housing Price Indicator from December 2012 shows that Latvians see rising prices in 2013 whereas Lithuanians expect a flat development.

SEB’s Annual Accounts 2012 will be announced on Thursday, 31 January, at 07:00 (Swedish time).

Danish consultancy agency Aalund positions SEB Pension as number one on the Danish pension market in terms of customer satisfaction. Peter Nilsson, head of SEB in Denmark, comments.

The Basel committee has announced new easier liquidity requirements for banks. “These changes create a better environment for banking,” says SEB’s Chief Financial Officer Jan Erik Back.

State-owned energy company Latvenergo late last year became the first public Latvian company to issue corporate bonds. SEB organised and placed the 20 million euro issue.

Poor equity returns and record-low bond yields spur surging interest for alternative assets, writes SEB’s X-asset team in one of a pair of recent reports.

SEB will soon start offering digital documentation in Estonia. "We know that customers want to manage documents digitally as long as it is easy and safe," says Katre Kuulpak at SEB in Estonia.

In 2013, small and medium-sized companies in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania expect higher sales and considerable export activity, indicates a flash survey conducted by SEB.

SEB’s experts see Brent crude easing towards 105 dollars per barrel, exactly where Saudi Arabia wants it. Should the price fall below 100 dollars, Saudi Arabia would cut production.

SEB was named Bank of the Year 2012 in Sweden and the Baltic countries. ”We want to be leaders in our markets and also be perceived as the best bank," says SEB's CEO Annika Falkengren.

There is a growing likelihood of better times ahead, SEB's experts, lead by Chief Investment Officer Hans Peterson, say in a new issue of Investment Outlook.

Long-term supply continues to increase while the global oil demand forecast has been progressively reduced during 2012, says SEB’s experts in a new Oil Market Report.

Except for a slightly lower oil price, SEB’s experts in a new issue of Commodities Monthly see few near-time changes to commodities prices.

Regarding information in media this morning concerning SEB’s card acquiring business with SAS.

“It is important to be courageous and learn from your mistakes. That is what leads you to success,” IT entrepreneur Hjalmar Winbladh said as he accepted the newly established SEB A Perfect Entrepreneur award from SEB’s Chief Executive Officer Annika Falkengren at a ceremony in Stockholm’s Concert Hall recently.

SEB, Nordea and Swedbank are jointly backing a programme to provide 720 scholarships for students at the Stockholm School of Economics branch in Riga.

SEB’s Housing Price Indicator in Latvia in August reached its highest level since measurements began in 2009. The underlying survey commissioned by SEB shows that 38 per cent of respondents now expect housing prices to rise while only 9 per cent expect declines over the coming 12 months.

Now SEB’s green cars have reached also the Baltic countries. During six months, ten environmentally friendly Smart cars will cover thousands of miles of roads in Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, visiting thousands of small and medium-sized enterprises to give advice on financial issues.

SEB’s Housing Price Indicators show optimism remaining stable in Latvia while it has decreased significantly in Lithuania since March.

The simple questions are often the hardest to answer – but perhaps also the most enjoyable. That shows when we meet Robert Bergqvist, chief economist at SEB, and Anders Kvist, the bank’s head of Financial Management, to discuss the debt crisis – the reasons behind it, where new credits come from and how new money is created.

The Swedish krona has recently become stronger compared to other currencies, particularly the euro which is now cheaper for Swedes than any time in the past 11 years. SEB's economists believe the trend towards a stronger krona will continue over the next 12 months albeit at a slower pace.

With eBay, Bonnier and SAS among its clients, Swedish technology firm Apica is ready to increase its global presence. SEB’s Venture Capital unit is joining three existing investors to provide 35 million kronor to support the expansion as well as further development of the company’s products.

SEB has extended its support of the Mentor programme in three countries. The non-profit organisation works with young people to strengthen self esteem and confidence as a way of resisting peer pressure in relation to alcohol and drug use.

SEB in Estonia is now the holder of an official Guinness World Record. This weekend 412 devoted employees helped to add 53,757 coins to a 20 square meter coin mosaic in the form of a debit card. The biggest challenge was to create a so-called QR code, which is a bar code that works with mobile phones.

Financialhearings.com has named SEB Enskilda as the best research house in Sweden and put four of its analysts among the top 15 individual performers. At the same time, SEB's chief economist Robert Bergqvist has been honoured as the best economy commentator by Svensk Image.

“After Sunday’s election, Greece and the world are awaiting the formation of a new government in Athens. The most likely outcome is a majority government consisting of the two parties that have signed the bail-out plan,” Robert Bergqvist, SEB’s chief economist, says.

Business daily Verslo Zinios and career portal CV.LT have named SEB as the most attractive employer in Lithuania. It’s the sixth time in the eight-year history of the awards that SEB has been singled out by the Lithuanian public.

SEB in Latvia repeated its performance from last year and claimed a gold medal in the Sustainability Index competition, a joint initiative by the Employers’ Confederation of Latvia and the Free Trade Union Confederation of Latvia.

Moody’s, the rating agency, Friday confirmed SEB’s credit rating with a stable outlook. Nordea and Handelsbanken however saw their ratings lowered one notch. Moody’s review of Swedish banks is part of an on-going review of the European banking system.

The Stockholm School of Economics last week opened a Sustainable Business Centre in Latvia’s capital Riga. SEB is providing support to the centre, which will work with research, training and popularising sustainable activities across the Baltic region.

SEB this week launched its Latvian Facebook channel where customers can keep track of the bank’s events, express views and opinions, engage in and support social projects and of course ask SEB’s call centre specialists questions related to products, services and their personal financial needs.

Annika Falkengren, SEB’s CEO, rang the closing bell at the NASDAQ OMX exchange yesterday (10 May), reminding those present that it wasn’t that long ago that the Nordic countries were considered, to some extent, emerging markets.

SEB published its Nordic Outlook report Tuesday and at the same time provided forecasts in a number of areas. One such forecast was for a capital infusion of 50 billion euro at the European Investment Bank (EIB) in order to finance investments across Europe.

SEB is the top bank for large corporate clients and financial institutions for the entire Nordic region according to market researcher TNS SIFO Prospera. Here SEB’s CEO Annika Falkengren and Magnus Carlsson, head of the Merchant Banking division, comment on how the bank achieved a 20 per cent improvement in the rankings over 2010.

A complex deal involving long-term financing of equipment for a new hydroelectric plant in Iceland has been named “EMEA Trade Finance Deal of the Year 2011” by International Trade Finance magazine. SEB arranged and will continue to manage the financing structure.

SEB’s venture capital unit and Industrifonden are investing 40 million Swedish kronor in the IT company Clavister AB to support its expansion plans. The firm offers advanced network security products that are in increasing demand as the threat from intrusions, malware and denial of service attacks increase.

SEB has retained its ranking as the top advisor and arranger of debt capital market financing for customers in Sweden in the latest TNS SIFO Prospera survey.

SEB True Market Neutral has been named the top performer in the “Best Fund of Hedge Funds Multi-Strategy under 500 million US dollars” category of the HFMWeek European awards – among the most highly regarded awards for the hedge fund industry.

The future of the Eurozone and impact of regulatory changes on the financial services market dominated the agenda at yesterday’s SEB Financial Summit. While speakers didn’t always see eye to eye, there was general consensus that the crisis is not over and building credibility will be key to long-term success.

SEB’s Danish mutual fund SEBinvest Danske Aktier has received Morningstar’s 2012 award for best Danish equities fund. The SEB fund provided a better risk-adjusted return over a three year period than any other fund in the Danish equities category.

None of the Swedish banks took the offer of cheap funding when the European Central Bank (ECB) Wednesday offered a three year loan facility. Anders Kvist, head of Group Financial Mangement at SEB, explains why SEB did not want to take the offer.

SEB's Danish life insurance company SEB Pension, has in collaboration with GreenGo Energy, established the largest solar cell power plant on the roof of Teknikerbyen (the Techno Village) in Virum, Denmark. The facility increases the overall solar power capacity of the country by eight percent.

Continuing a 12 year old tradition, SEB in Latvia also this year participated in Shadow Day, giving schoolchildren from all over Latvia the opportunity to get to know the bank’s everyday work. 272 students applied and 49 of them got the chance to follow an SEB employee during a working day.

Moody's Investors service, the credit ratings agency, has placed 114 financial institutions in 16 European countries on a watch list for possible downgrades to their long-term credit ratings.

The 200 megawatt wind farm is being built outside Gävle in eastern Sweden and should be finished next year. SEB’s Project, Asset and Export Finance (PAEF) team, joined forces with Norwegian bank DNB to arrange financing for the 300 million euro project. AEB is also providing interest rate hedging.

European investors and money managers, in a survey done by Institutional Investor magazine, named SEB Enskilda the best provider of Nordic equity research.

SEB together with customers, partners and the Latvian public raised almost 4,300 Latvian lats for SOS Children’s Villages through a range of activities from 17 November to 6 January.

SEB’s Estonian charity fund – Heategevusfond – this year facilitated distribution of Christmas gifts to 1,000 children living in shelters. The gifts were made possible by donations from over 1,500 people.

SEB’s latest Baltic Housing Affordability Index shows that the average Estonian can buy 49 square meters of housing in the capital Tallinn, whereas the corresponding figure for Latvia and Lithuania are 43 and 35 square meters respectively.

SEB and Swedbank both scored well in a TNS survey of corporate reputation across the Baltic region. SEB took the number one position among banks in Latvia, shared the top spot in Estonia and came in second in Lithuania.

Prospera named SEB Enskilda the top Nordic corporate finance advisor in its latest ranking based on interviews with over 500 corporations and institutions in the region.

Prospera has for the second year in a row awarded SEB Enskilda the sole number 1 position in the Nordic Equity category in its annual analyst ranking.

SEB’s foreign exchange (FX) business has been named the top supplier in the Nordic region (for all currencies) by magazine Global Finance, and the best provider of Scandinavian currencies, globally, by FX Week.

The Swedish government is to propose higher capital adequacy requirements for systemically important banks in an effort to strengthen the stability of the Swedish banking system and reduce the vulnerability of the Swedish economy. SEB meets these requirements today.

SEB’s venture capital firm has become the largest owner of Teknikmagasinet with a 40 per cent share. The SEB company will work with the remaining shareholders to continue developing the home electronic and gadget chain’s business throughout the Nordic region.

It’s official. SEB is back in business in Hong Kong. Annika Falkengren formally opened the bank’s premises in the city’s financial heart on Friday (11 November) at a gala reception for more than 200 customers and local dignitaries.

SEB will donate one lat (1.42 euro) for each new customer that signs up for the bank’s second pillar pension scheme to upgrade equipment at the rehabilitation centre of the children’s clinical university hospital in Riga.

Peter Nilsson has been appointed new head of the life business SEB Pension in Denmark succeeding Per Klitgård who will leave SEB.

SEB ranks number one among banks in a corporate reputation survey conducted by TNS in Latvia.

SEB's housing price indicator in Latvia declined slightly in December but 38 per cent of the population still believe prices will rise over the coming 12 months.