RBA has opted to maintain cash rate target unchanged at 4.35% today, aligning with broad market expectations. The central bank’s stance reflects a cautious approach, emphasizing the prevailing uncertainty in both the global and domestic economic environments. RBA’s declaration that the path of interest rates remains “uncertain” and that it is “not ruling anything in or out” underscores a flexible policy outlook, leaving the door open for rate adjustments in the future, including the possibility of further hikes.
On the inflation front, RBA acknowledges a moderating trend, consistent with its latest forecasts. This moderation is attributed primarily to slowdown in goods inflation. However, services inflation remains stubbornly high, and ism ode rating at a slower pace. Wages growth, a critical factor in the inflation equation, appears to have peaked.
Addressing the economic outlook, RBA paints a picture of significant uncertainty. Internationally, questions loom over China’s economic outlook and the broader impacts of geopolitical conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East. Domestically, uncertainties pertain to the lag effects of monetary policy adjustments, firms’ pricing decisions, wages dynamics, and household consumption patterns.