China: PBOC may cut the MLF rate – ANZ

Dhwani Mehta FXStreet

The People’s Bank of China (PBOC) is expected to cut the one-year medium-term lending facility (MLF) rate after slashing its loan prime rate (LPR) in December, analysts at Australia and New Zealand (ANZ) banking group noted.

Key quotes

“China’s policymakers proposed to “optimise the central bank policy rate system” at the People’s Bank of China (PBoC)’s Q4 monetary policy committee meeting (MPC) in December 2021. We believe this signals the possibility of a 10bp cut in the 1Y medium-term lending facility (MLF) rate. “

“The cut in the loan prime rate (LPR) in December shows that the market has been ahead of the policy decision already.”

“The 1Y MLF, which is currently at 2.95%, seems too high to be a medium-term rate pivot for bank asset pricing, because China’s new asset management rules have brought about structural changes to banks’ liabilities, in our view.”

“Furthermore, China’s policy stance has shifted to growth stabilization. The optimization of the policy rate system will help to transmit liquidity that has accumulated in the banking system to the real economy.”

Author

Dhwani Mehta

FXStreet

Residing in Mumbai (India), Dhwani is a Senior Analyst and Manager of the Asian session at FXStreet. She has over 10 years of experience in analyzing and covering the global financial markets, with specialization in Forex and commodities markets.

EUR/USD flirts with daily highs, retargets 1.1900

EUR/USD regains upside traction, returning to the 1.1880 zone and refocusing its attention to the key 1.1900 barrier. The pair’s slight gains comes against the backdrop of a humble decline in the US Dollar as investors continue to assess the latest US CPI readings and the potential Fed’s rate path.

GBP/USD remains well bid around 1.3650

GBP/USD maintains its upside momentum in place, hovering around daily highs near 1.3650 and setting aside part of the recent three-day drop. Cable’s improved sentiment comes on the back of the Greenback’s irresolute price action, while recent hawkish comments from the BoE’s Pill also collaborate with the uptick.

Gold clings to gains just above $5,000/oz

Gold is reclaiming part of the ground lost on Wednesday’s marked decline, as bargain-hunters keep piling up and lifting prices past the key $5,000 per troy ounce. The precious metal’s move higher is also underpinned by the slight pullback in the US Dollar and declining US Treasury yields across the curve.

Crypto Today: Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP in choppy price action, weighed down by falling institutional interest

Bitcoin's upside remains largely constrained amid weak technicals and declining institutional interest. Ethereum trades sideways above $1,900 support with the upside capped below $2,000 amid ETF outflows.

Week ahead – Data blitz, Fed Minutes and RBNZ decision in the spotlight

US GDP and PCE inflation are main highlights, plus the Fed minutes. UK and Japan have busy calendars too with focus on CPI. Flash PMIs for February will also be doing the rounds. RBNZ meets, is unlikely to follow RBA’s hawkish path.

Ripple Price Forecast: XRP potential bottom could be in sight

Ripple edges up above the intraday low of $1.35 at the time of writing on Friday amid mixed price actions across the crypto market. The remittance token failed to hold support at $1.40 the previous day, reflecting risk-off sentiment amid a decline in retail and institutional sentiment.