Australian Central Bank Governor Keeps Option of Further Rate Hike on the Table

The Reserve Bank of Australia’s governor, Michele Bullock, warned again on Thursday that the central bank may still need to raise interest rates further as inflation risks continue to lurk more than two years after policy action started to cool it down, the Wall Street Journal reported. Bullock told a community meeting in her hometown of Armidale, New South Wales, that inflation is lower than where it was a year ago, but remains “too high.” “The board remains vigilant with respect to upside risks on inflation and will not hesitate to raise rates if it needs to.
Australia
Read more

RBA Stands Pat; Says Inflation Risks Still a Worry

The Reserve Bank of Australia left interest rates on hold at its August policy meeting, stopping well short of joining other major central banks in talking about coming rate cuts and instead warning that inflation will remain a problem for some time yet, the Wall Street Journal reported. The RBA’s official cash rate was held at a 12-year high of 4.35%, where it has remained since November.
Australia
Read more

No Smoking Gun for RBA Hike in Australia Inflation Data

A measure of inflation closely watched by Australian policymakers was lower than expected in the second quarter, taking pressure off the central bank to raise interest rates further at its policy meeting next week, the Wall Street Journal reported. Trimmed mean inflation, which is a key focus for the Reserve Bank of Australia, rose 3.9% from a year earlier in the second quarter, beating the central bank’s forecast of 3.8%. Economists had expected trimmed mean inflation would rise by 4.0%.
Australia
Read more

Australia's Banking Regulator Says It Will Not Ease Home Lending Rules

Australia's banking regulator on Monday said it would retain its strict home loan lending rules amid concern that the level of overall risk to the financial system remained elevated, taking into account an uncertain interest rate and economic outlook, Reuters reported. The Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) said that the outlook was clouded by geopolitical instability and household debt and inflation holding above the central bank's target range.
Australia
Read more