PBOC sets USD/CNY reference rate at 6.7990 vs. 6.7972 previous

Haresh Menghani FXStreet

The People’s Bank of China (PBOC) sets the USD/CNY central rate for the trading session ahead on Tuesday at 6.7990 compared to the previous day's fix of 6.7972 and 6.7927 Reuters estimate.

PBOC FAQs

What does the People's Bank of China do?

The primary monetary policy objectives of the People's Bank of China (PBoC) are to safeguard price stability, including exchange rate stability, and promote economic growth. China’s central bank also aims to implement financial reforms, such as opening and developing the financial market.

Who owns the PBoC?

The PBoC is owned by the state of the People's Republic of China (PRC), so it is not considered an autonomous institution. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Committee Secretary, nominated by the Chairman of the State Council, has a key influence on the PBoC’s management and direction, not the governor. However, Mr. Pan Gongsheng currently holds both of these posts.

What are the main policy tools used by the PBoC?

Unlike the Western economies, the PBoC uses a broader set of monetary policy instruments to achieve its objectives. The primary tools include a seven-day Reverse Repo Rate (RRR), Medium-term Lending Facility (MLF), foreign exchange interventions and Reserve Requirement Ratio (RRR). However, The Loan Prime Rate (LPR) is China’s benchmark interest rate. Changes to the LPR directly influence the rates that need to be paid in the market for loans and mortgages and the interest paid on savings. By changing the LPR, China’s central bank can also influence the exchange rates of the Chinese Renminbi.

Are private banks allowed in China?

Yes, China has 19 private banks – a small fraction of the financial system. The largest private banks are digital lenders WeBank and MYbank, which are backed by tech giants Tencent and Ant Group, per The Straits Times. In 2014, China allowed domestic lenders fully capitalized by private funds to operate in the state-dominated financial sector.

Author

Haresh Menghani

FXStreet

Haresh Menghani is a detail-oriented professional with 10+ years of extensive experience in analysing the global financial markets.

GBP/USD retreats further, clinches three-day lows

The British Pound comes under extra selling pressure at the beginning of the week, dragging GBP/USD to fresh three-day troughs near 1.3350. Cable’s steady drop follows the improved tone in the Greenback as effervescence in the Middle East remains everything but abated.

EUR/USD posts modest gains above 1.1350 as traders await US CPI inflation release

The EUR/USD pair posts modest gains near 1.1385 during the Asian trading hours on Tuesday. Nonetheless, the potential upside for the major pair might be limited amid renewed US military strikes against Iran. Traders will take more cues from the US June Consumer Price Index inflation data, which will be released later on Tuesday.

Gold re-attempts $4,000 ahead of US CPI, Fed's Warsh

Gold is attempting a tepid bounce from a two-week low, around $3,985 in the Asian session on Tuesday, regaining $4,000 amid a pause in the US Dollar's advance, as bulls turn cautious ahead of the US CPI report and Fed Chair Warsh's testimony before placing fresh directional bets. Meanwhile, escalating US-Iran tensions have led to higher Oil prices, which could check Gold's recovery amid rising inflation concerns and increased Fed rate hike bets.

Bitcoin holds near $62K ahead of key macroeconomic reports

Bitcoin traded near $62,000 on Monday, holding onto recent gains as investors adopted little conviction ahead of key macroeconomic reports this week. In a report on Monday, QCP analysts highlighted that Tuesday's US Consumer Price Index data could be the first major catalyst to decide the market's direction.

Oil jumps, bonds break and the AI trade starts losing its shine

Wall Street finally ran into the collision course it had spent weeks pretending would never happen. Oil surged, bonds sold off, the dollar caught a bid, and the most crowded corner of the equity market began to buckle under its own weight.

Five sessions, one round trip: Why the whipsaw is exactly what Warsh ordered

Markets opened July with a December hike as the base case and spent five trading sessions unlearning and relearning it. A 57K payrolls print bled the tightening bets out of the strip; a re-shut Strait of Hormuz is pushing them back in. Wednesday's minutes from the June FOMC meeting landed mid-round-trip, describing a world that had already stopped existing.