RBNZ Holds Cash Rate Steady at 5.50% Amid Inflation Concerns and Potential for Future Hikes

Date Published: 24 May 2024

Key Facts

• The Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) has left the Official Cash Rate (OCR) unchanged at 5.50%.
• The RBNZ expressed concern over the slow decline in domestic inflation.
• The central bank expects inflation to return to the target range of 1% to 3% by the fourth quarter of this year, rather than the third quarter as previously anticipated.
• RBNZ has pushed back the expected drop in the OCR from the second quarter of 2024 to the third quarter of 2024.
• Market reactions have been significant, with wholesale interest rates and the NZ dollar both increasing.
• The RBNZ’s forecasts suggest a 60% chance of an OCR hike by the end of this year.
• Sectors of the economy less sensitive to interest rates, such as housing, insurance, and council rates, are tempering the decline in domestic inflation.

Article Summary

The Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) has decided to keep the Official Cash Rate (OCR) steady at 5.50%, demonstrating ongoing caution over domestic inflation’s slow pace of decline. Concerns were raised by the Monetary Policy Committee, suggesting that interest rates may need to stay restrictive for longer than anticipated to ensure the inflation target is met. The target inflation rate, which the RBNZ aims to bring back into a range of 1% to 3%, is now expected to be achieved by the fourth quarter of this year, rather than the previously projected third quarter.

Significant market reactions followed this announcement, causing wholesale interest rates to surge and the New Zealand dollar to increase in value. The RBNZ’s new forecasts show an increased likelihood—up to 60%—of a possible OCR hike by the end of this year, diverging from previous market expectations that had anticipated rate cuts. The central bank has also revised the timeline for when it expects to lower the OCR, pushing it from the second quarter of 2024 to the third quarter.

Moreover, the RBNZ noted concerns about inflation being tempered by less interest rate-sensitive sectors, including housing, insurance, and local council rates. These factors present a risk to inflation expectations and could mean that restrictive monetary policy may need to be maintained longer to achieve the desired economic stability. Despite a dip in headline inflation measures, domestic inflation remains stubbornly high, driven by non-tradable components that have deviated from forecasts.

To combat these inflationary pressures, the RBNZ stresses the necessity for maintaining restrictive monetary policies to steer inflation back to the target range. While global inflation is also impacting New Zealand’s economic landscape, decreased capacity pressures and a cooling labour market signal some relief. However, amid mixed economic data, including rising unemployment and technical recession indicators, the RBNZ’s stance emphasizes caution and persistence in its monetary policy measures.

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