Reserve Bank likely to hold rates low for longer
Of the 13 economists surveyed by www.mortagerates.co.nz, all expect no change to Bollard's official cash rate (OCR) on Thursday, currently at a record low of 2.5%.
“There's been an accumulation of small surprises which all argue they can keep the OCR low,” says Dominick Stephens, chief economist at Westpac.
Stephens expects Bollard will soften his rhetoric to imply the OCR will stay low for longer – Stephens has just changed his expectation of the first hike in rates from December to March next year.
Most economists aren't expecting the central bank to raise the OCR until December this year or March next year, although Peter Cavanaugh at Bancorp Treasury Services now expects the hike won't be until June next year, basing that forecast on the weaker data flow.
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