MNI: Norges Bank Leaves Key Rate Unchanged At 0.75% - Text

     LONDON (MNI) - The Norges Bank kept its key policy rate unchanged at 0.75%

following its meeting Thursday.

     The full text of the Norges Bank statement follows.

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     Key policy rate unchanged at 0.75 percent Norges Bank's Executive Board has

decided to keep the key policy rate unchanged at 0.75 percent.

     In the September 2018 Monetary Policy Report, the Executive Board's

assessment was that the economic upturn was continuing and that capacity

utilisation was close to a normal level. Underlying inflation was close to the 2

percent target. The key policy rate was raised from 0.50 to 0.75 percent in

September, and the Executive Board's assessment was that the key policy rate

would most likely be increased further in 2019 Q1.

     The outlook and balance of risks imply a gradual increase in the key policy

rate. Economic growth has been a little lower and inflation somewhat higher than

projected, but the outlook and the balance of risks do not appear to have

changed substantially since the September Report.

--MNI London Bureau; tel: +44 203-586-2225; email: les.commons@marketnews.com

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