RBNZ set for another 50 bps interest rate cut as economic slowdown deepens
- The Reserve Bank of New Zealand is expected to cut its key interest rate by 50 bps to 3.75% on Wednesday.
- The RBNZ’s updated forecasts and Governor Orr’s words are likely to offer clues on the policy outlook.
- The New Zealand Dollar is set to rock on the RBNZ policy announcements.
The Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) is widely expected to lower the Official Cash Rate (OCR) by another 50 basis points (bps) from 4.25% to 3.75% when it announces its interest rate decision on Wednesday at 01:00 GMT.
Most economists polled by Reuters predicted a 50 bps rate reduction at the February policy meeting. The RBNZ has delivered a cumulative 125 bps of cuts since August last year. Therefore, the central bank’s hints on future rate cuts could trigger a big reaction in the New Zealand Dollar (NZD).
What to expect from the RBNZ interest rate decision?
At its November meeting, RBNZ Governor Adrian Orr explicitly anticipated a 50 bps cut this month, noting that “if economic conditions continue to evolve as projected, the committee expects to be able to lower the OCR further early next year.”
Orr added that he was “confident domestic inflation pressures will continue to ease.”
The decision was backed by concerns over the economic slowdown and inflation returning to the central bank’s target range between 1% and 3%. New Zealand’s annual Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose 2.2% in the third quarter (Q3) of 2024, aligning with market forecasts and marking a sharp slowdown from the 3.3% growth in the prior quarter.
Since then, New Zealand’s economy entered a recession in Q3, with Gross Domestic Product (GDP) declining 1% from the previous quarter’s revised 1.1% contraction. Economists expected a 0.4% decrease in the reported period.
Despite its move front-load policy easing in November, the RBNZ maintained that the “economic activity in New Zealand is subdued,” leaving room for additional rate cuts this year.
“The swaps market agrees and sees the policy bottoming near 3.25% over the next 12 months,” according to the BBH analysts. This outpaces the Bank’s projection of peak OCR in December 2025 at 3.55%.
Against this backdrop, the language of the Monetary Policy Statement (MPS) and the updated economic projections will be key to gauging the scope and timing of future rate reductions.
How will the RBNZ interest decision impact the New Zealand Dollar?
In the lead-up to the RBNZ showdown, the NZD/USD pair is at its highest in four weeks at 0.5750, helped by easing tensions surrounding United States (US) President Donald Trump’s tariffs and a broad-based US Dollar (USD) downtrend.
The New Zealand Dollar could reverse sharply from near the monthly peak against the USD if the RBNZ fans further rate cut expectations. Another downward revision to the OCR forecasts could also smash the NZD/USD pair.
In case the RBNZ hints at slowing its pace of easing or maintains the OCR projections, the NZD could see a fresh upside across the board.
Dhwani Mehta, FXStreet’s Senior Analyst, offers a brief technical outlook for trading the New Zealand Dollar on the RBNZ policy announcements: “The upside risks remain intact for the NZD/USD after a Bull Cross was confirmed on the daily chart last Friday. Adding credence to the bearishness, the 14-day Relative Strength Index (RSI) holds well above the 50 level, despite the latest downturn.”
“If buyers regain control, the initial resistance is seen at the 21-day Simple Moving Average (SMA) at 0.5814, above which the November 29 2024 high of 0.5930 will be challenged. Further up, the 0.6000 round level will offer stiff resistance. Conversely, strong support is seen near 0.5660, where the 21-day SMA and 50-day SMA hang around. Failure to defend the confluence support could trigger a fresh downside toward the February 3 low of 0.5516,” Dhwani adds.
Economic Indicator
RBNZ Interest Rate Decision
The Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) announces its interest rate decision after its seven scheduled annual policy meetings. If the RBNZ is hawkish and sees inflationary pressures rising, it raises the Official Cash Rate (OCR) to bring inflation down. This is positive for the New Zealand Dollar (NZD) since higher interest rates attract more capital inflows. Likewise, if it reaches the view that inflation is too low it lowers the OCR, which tends to weaken NZD.
Read more.Next release: Wed Feb 19, 2025 01:00
Frequency: Irregular
Consensus: 3.75%
Previous: 4.25%
Source: Reserve Bank of New Zealand
The Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) holds monetary policy meetings seven times a year, announcing their decision on interest rates and the economic assessments that influenced their decision. The central bank offers clues on the economic outlook and future policy path, which are of high relevance for the NZD valuation. Positive economic developments and upbeat outlook could lead the RBNZ to tighten the policy by hiking interest rates, which tends to be NZD bullish. The policy announcements are usually followed by Governor Adrian Orr’s press conference.
Central banks FAQs
Central Banks have a key mandate which is making sure that there is price stability in a country or region. Economies are constantly facing inflation or deflation when prices for certain goods and services are fluctuating. Constant rising prices for the same goods means inflation, constant lowered prices for the same goods means deflation. It is the task of the central bank to keep the demand in line by tweaking its policy rate. For the biggest central banks like the US Federal Reserve (Fed), the European Central Bank (ECB) or the Bank of England (BoE), the mandate is to keep inflation close to 2%.
A central bank has one important tool at its disposal to get inflation higher or lower, and that is by tweaking its benchmark policy rate, commonly known as interest rate. On pre-communicated moments, the central bank will issue a statement with its policy rate and provide additional reasoning on why it is either remaining or changing (cutting or hiking) it. Local banks will adjust their savings and lending rates accordingly, which in turn will make it either harder or easier for people to earn on their savings or for companies to take out loans and make investments in their businesses. When the central bank hikes interest rates substantially, this is called monetary tightening. When it is cutting its benchmark rate, it is called monetary easing.
A central bank is often politically independent. Members of the central bank policy board are passing through a series of panels and hearings before being appointed to a policy board seat. Each member in that board often has a certain conviction on how the central bank should control inflation and the subsequent monetary policy. Members that want a very loose monetary policy, with low rates and cheap lending, to boost the economy substantially while being content to see inflation slightly above 2%, are called ‘doves’. Members that rather want to see higher rates to reward savings and want to keep a lit on inflation at all time are called ‘hawks’ and will not rest until inflation is at or just below 2%.
Normally, there is a chairman or president who leads each meeting, needs to create a consensus between the hawks or doves and has his or her final say when it would come down to a vote split to avoid a 50-50 tie on whether the current policy should be adjusted. The chairman will deliver speeches which often can be followed live, where the current monetary stance and outlook is being communicated. A central bank will try to push forward its monetary policy without triggering violent swings in rates, equities, or its currency. All members of the central bank will channel their stance toward the markets in advance of a policy meeting event. A few days before a policy meeting takes place until the new policy has been communicated, members are forbidden to talk publicly. This is called the blackout period.
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