Serbia Holds Rates Steady in First Meeting After S&P Upgrade
- Central bank keeps benchmark rate at 5.75% as forecasts split
- Officials say investment-grade rating to help economic growth
The National Bank of Serbia in Belgrade.
Photographer: Oliver Bunic/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Serbian policymakers held interest rates at their first meeting after the Balkan nation secured an investment-grade score, citing geopolitical risks and the impact of a summer drought.
After cutting the rate last month, the National Bank of Serbia on Thursday opted to keep its one-week repurchase rate at 5.75%, a move predicted by nine of 17 analysts in a Bloomberg survey. Eight had forecast a second-straight 25 basis-point reduction.