The RBA surprised markets this week by slowing the pace of rates increase, opting for a 25bp move against expectations of a 50bp increase. Meanwhile, the RBNZ continued to show a heavy hand against domestic inflation pressures, having delivered a fifth consecutive 50bp rate hike.
In explaining their decision to raise the cash rate by only 25bp to 2.60% at their October policy meeting, the RBA referenced the considerable amount of financial tightening that has already been implemented, a total of 250bps to date. While the Board were cognizant of the domestic risks around inflation; consumer spending; housing and the labor market, a greater emphasis was placed on concerns around the deterioration in the global economy, likely in response to recent volatility within financial markets. As discussed by Chief Economist Bill Evans, we saw that developments in the global economy actually favored a larger increase at the October meeting, given the strength of US consumer inflation and its expected consequences of a more aggressive tightening cycle from the Federal Reserve, and hence further upward pressure on global interest rates.
Read More : Daily & Weekly Analysis On Xtreamforex
Bookmarks