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Yesterday, the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) maintained on interest rates, holding them steady at 4.35%. This decision followed a 25-basis points hike delivered in November. The nuanced policy statement released by the RBA revealed a tone less hawkish than anticipated, despite recent remarks from RBA Governor Bullock and upward revisions to the RBA's growth and inflation forecasts presented at the November policy meeting.
You can access the RBA Statement on this link; https://www.rba.gov.au/media-releases/2023/mr-23-35.html
The RBA's commentary touched upon various economic indicators, noting that the monthly Consumer Price Index (CPI) indicator for October suggested ongoing moderation in inflation, primarily driven by the goods sector. However, the absence of updated information on services inflation since the November policy meeting introduced an element of uncertainty.
The dovish description extended to wage growth, with the RBA asserting that it is not expected to experience significant increases, aligning it with the inflation target. This cautious outlook led the RBA to reiterate that any future tightening of monetary policy would depend on evolving data and risk assessments.
This mode of data dependency in policy-setting indicates a potential softening of the RBA's bias toward further rate hikes. In contrast to other G10 central banks, the RBA is anticipated to be the least active in terms of rate cuts next year, with only 25 basis points of cuts priced in by the end of the year.
Simultaneously, the broader financial landscape saw the US dollar staging a modest rebound since late last month, lifting the dollar index above the 200-day moving average at around 103.60. This rebound followed a dip to 102.72 on November 29th. The strength of the US dollar was particularly noticeable against the Australian dollar, which experienced a decline of approximately -0.7%. The AUD/USD rate retreated towards its 200-day moving average at around 0.6580 after failing to sustain a break above the 0.6600-level.
The impetus behind the US dollar's resurgence this week was attributed to the scaling back of expectations for Federal Reserve rate cuts. The implied yield on the December 2024 Fed fund futures contract increased by 8 basis points, marking a correction after a sharp move lower in yields last week when the implied yield fell by 48 basis points.
In summary, the RBA's decision to keep rates unchanged, coupled with a less hawkish policy statement, suggests a nuanced approach to future monetary policy actions. Meanwhile, the US dollar's rebound is influenced by evolving expectations regarding Federal Reserve rate cuts, adding layers of complexity to the global economic landscape.
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