|

RBA: Will not hike OCR until actual inflation is sustainably within the 2 to 3% target range

Following are the key headlines from the November RBA monetary policy statement, via Reuters, as presented by Governor Phillip Lowe.

Will not increase the cash rate until actual inflation is sustainably within the 2 to 3 per cent target range

Central forecast is for GDP growth of 3 percent over 2021 and 5½ per cent and 2½ per cent over the following two years.

This will require the labour market to be tight enough to generate wages growth that is materially higher than it is currently

One important source of uncertainty continues to be the possibility of a further setback on the health front

Board is prepared to be patient, with the central forecast being for underlying inflation to be no higher than 2½ per cent at the end of 2023 and for only a gradual increase in wages growth

Central forecast is for the unemployment rate to trend lower over the next couple of years, reaching 4¼ per cent at the end of 2022 and 4 per cent at the end of 2023.

Inflation has picked up, but in underlying terms is still low, at 2.1 per cent.

While inflation has picked up, it remains low in underlying terms

Further, but only gradual, pick-up in underlying inflation is expected

Decision to discontinue the yield target reflects the improvement in the economy and the earlier-than-expected progress towards the inflation target

Central forecast is for underlying inflation of around 2¼ per cent over 2021 and 2022 and 2½ per cent over 2023.

Wage price index forecast to increase by 2½ per cent over 2022 and 3 per cent over 2023.

Bank welcomes APRA's recent decision to increase the interest rate serviceability buffer on home loans.

Author

Dhwani Mehta

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.

More from Dhwani Mehta
Share:

Editor's Picks

EUR/USD gains traction to near 1.1800 as tariff uncertainty weighs on US Dollar

The EUR/USD pair holds positive ground around 1.1795 during the early Asian session on Tuesday. The US Dollar weakens against the Euro amid US tariff uncertainty. The release of the US January Producer Price Index report will be in the spotlight later on Friday. 

GBP/USD treads water near 1.3500 as BoE-Fed divergence debate stalls

GBP/USD spent Monday spinning in place as market participants await a fresh catalyst to break the pair out of its recent range. The BoE's February hold came with a surprisingly dovish 5-4 split, and UK Consumer Price Index data last week showed inflation easing to 3.0%, reinforcing the case for earlier rate cuts, with most economists now looking to April or March for the next move. 

Gold down but not out as key $5,140 support holds

Gold consolidates the advance to monthly top of $5,250 in Tuesday’s Asian trades. The US Dollar finds demand as liquidity returns and risk sentiment recovers, despite US tariffs uncertainty. Gold defends 61.8% Fibo resistance at $5,142 amid the pullback, daily RSI remains bullish.

Top Crypto Losers: BCH, HYPE, PUMP extend losses as Bitcoin drops below $64,000

Altcoins, including Bitcoin Cash, Hyperliquid, and Pump.fun, are leading losses over the last 24 hours as Bitcoin falls below $64,000 on Tuesday. The technical outlook for BCH, HYPE, and PUMP flags downside risk amid broader market selling.

Supreme Court nixes tariffs, Trump teases 15% global tariff

On February 20th, the Supreme Court ruled that Trump’s global tariffs under IEEPA authority were unconstitutional, effectively nullifying the framework. However, the relief was short-lived. Within hours, Trump floated a 15% blanket tariff under an alternative legal authority.

XRP recovers slightly as bearish sentiment dominates crypto market

Ripple is rising above $1.40 at the time of writing on Monday amid fresh tariff-triggered headwinds in the broader cryptocurrency market. The sell-off to $1.33, the token’s intraday low, can be attributed to macroeconomic uncertainty, geopolitical tensions and risk-averse sentiment among other factors.