RBA 维持利率不变

SAland · 发表于 2014-5-31 04:41:57

本帖最后由 SAland 于 2013-2-5 14:38 编辑
RBA keeps interest rates steady
With official interest rates already at record lows and the full-effect of previous cuts yet to flow through the economy, the RBA has decided to hold the official cash rate steady at three percent in its meeting today.
Even though Australians have become accustomed to constant interest rate cuts, those mortgage holders hoping the official cash rate would drop below three per cent are going to have wait just that little bit longer.
Experts had predicted the RBA would not move today with a survey of 15 economists showing that all but one had expected the RBA to keep official interest rates steady.
The biggest changes since the RBA's last meeting in December have been in markets with the ASX200 growing some 10 per cent in the past two months, while iron ore prices have rebounded some 35 per cent.
“The numbers out of China have been very positive and even US numbers have been very supportive of the Reserve Bank leaving rates on hold,” said CommSec economist Savanth Sebastian.
“It seems likely that they'll keep rates on hold for the first six months of this year.”
Even though the latest inflation figures were low enough to allow the RBA to cut if they had wanted to, there has already been two interest rate cuts in the past four months.
"Particularly compared with a year ago, cash rates are 125 basis points lower than they were a year ago and so I think the RBA are very relaxed and comfortable and should leave the cash rate where it is at 3 per cent," said TD Securities head of Asia-Pacific research, Annette Beacher.
Could rates still come down in 2013?
However, most of the pressures that led to the Reserve moving rates to what it called “emergency” levels still persist, and it is too early to conclude that the easing cycle has finished.
While home prices have rebounded slightly in the past couple of months, building approvals have unexpectedly fallen and job ads have been in decline for the past 11 straight months.
If the labour market continues to deteriorate the bank could open a fresh round of rate cuts.
The underlying fear being that once resource investment passes its peak there is not enough happening in other sectors of the economy to keep things moving along.