Consumer price index: Rates on hold as inflation bottoms
The Reserve Bank has been given licence to le
ave interest rates on hold at its first board meeting for the year, after the delivery of a low inflation result in line with its expectations and signs it will lift.
Australia's inflation rate was just 0.5 per cent in the December quarter, down from 0.7 per cent in the September quarter. But the more closely watched measure of "non-tradables" inflation climbed from 0.5 per cent to 0.8 per cent.
"It suggests inflation has steadied and may have
passed the trough," said HSBC chief economist Paul Bloxham. "We expect underlying inflation to gradually climb from here as the recent rise in commodity prices boosts incomes and flows through to support for domestic wages and inflation.
"We expect the Reserve Bank to be on hold in coming quarters and
expect rate hikes in 2018."
"The
Reserve Bank doesn't need to cut rates again with inflation trending higher, and there are doubts that rate cuts would actually do much in terms of driving the economy and lifting inflation. And rate hikes are off the agenda."
http://www.smh.com.au/business/the-...old-as-inflation-bottoms-20170125-gtylz0.html
p.s.
What this news article implies is that RBA will leave AUDUSD to appreciate.