SEB Financial Officers' Index: Surprisingly opt...

Optimism has increased slightly among Swedish Financial Officers
compared to three months ago. However, the lending attitude among
financial institutions is viewed as less favourable and respondents
are more concerned about potentially weaker demand.

Optimism has increased slightly among Swedish Financial Officers
compared to three months ago. However, the lending attitude among
financial institutions is viewed as less favourable and respondents
are more concerned about potentially weaker demand.


SEB's Financial Officers' survey, addressed to around 50 of  Sweden's
largest companies,  presents  an ambiguous  picture.  Most  financial
officers  regard  the  business  climate  and  their  own   company's
financial strength favourably. At the same time, half of the survey's
respondents are now worried about  a potential fall in demand  during
2008. SEB's Financial  Officers' Index for  February published  today
stands at 60, above the level of  59 in November, and well above  its
neutral level of 50.

"Swedish financial  officers  appear  surprisingly  optimistic,  even
though the message is mixed," says Louis Landeman, credit  strategist
at SEB and co-author of the report with Hanna Holmberg.

"While most financial  officers remain  very confident  of their  own
company's financial  strength  and  business  remains  strong,  their
interest  in  hiring  and  carrying  out  strategic  investments  has
declined. This  suggests  increased cautiousness  due  to  prevailing
uncertainty regarding the future business cycle," Landeman continues.
This  impression  is  further  supported  by  greater  concern  about
potentially weaker demand.

The survey  reveals  that  one in  four  financial  officers  remains
concerned  by  rising  raw  materials   costs.  At  the  same   time,
inflationary pressure appears moderate.

"Only 20 per cent of financial  officers expect their own company  to
increase prices by 3 per cent or  more in the next six months,  while
more than half believe they will raise prices by 1-2 per cent  during
the coming six months," Holmberg says.

This is the eight publication  of SEB's Financial Officers' Index,  a
unique quarterly  survey  whose  purpose is  to  reflect  changes  of
sentiment  in   the   financial  environment   and   facilitate   the
understanding of economic and financial trends. The survey  comprises
a total  of 15  questions covering  areas such  as business  climate,
strategic investments, employment, views  on currencies and  interest
rates, financial strength,  and lending  attitudes amongst  financial
institutions.  The  full   report  (in  Swedish)   is  available   at
www.sebgroup.com \Press.
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For further information, please contact:
Louis Landeman, Trading Strategy, SEB, tel. [phone]
Elisabeth Lennhede, Press Officer, tel. [phone]