National Bank leaves interest rates unchanged

In business news, the Czech National Bank left interest rates unchanged on Thursday, as analysts had predicted. The key benchmark interest rate remains at 1.25 percent, bank spokesperson Marek Petruš said on Thursday morning. The last time the bank lowered interest rates was on August 6 this year, to 1.25 percent, which at the time constituted a record low for the Czech economy. Analysts are predicting that a slight rise in interest rates may come at the start of next year, as European markets begin to stabilize.