RBA leaves 50bp rate hike on the table

23 November

The Reserve Bank is leaving all options on the table to squash inflation, including the return to 50 basis point rate hikes. But RBA governor Philip Lowe said the central bank also hadn’t ruled out pausing rate hikes to let earlier policy...[Read More]

RBA admits rates forward guidance faults

16 November

The central bank is unlikely to attach dates to future interest rate movement forecasts after the backlash sparked by its cash rate predictions during the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of a review of its more prescriptive “forward guidance”...[Read More]

RBA hikes interest rates 25 basis points

3 November

The central bank has pulled the trigger on another 25 basis point rate rise and upgraded its peak inflation forecasts off the back of higher-than-expected inflation. The seventh hike in the Reserve Bank of Australia’s policy tightening cycle...[Read More]

RBA sees the pain but says rates must rise

2 November

Australia could risk a severe recession unless the central bank continues to act “strongly” to beat down inflation by hiking interest rates, its governor warns. Reserve Bank of Australia chief Philip Lowe was speaking after the bank’s board...[Read More]

Reserve Bank nervous about rate hike lag

19 October

Fears of a delayed hit from rate hikes outweighed concerns about stubbornly high inflation when the Reserve Bank board made its surprising October cash rate decision. The Reserve Bank of Australia decided to ease back to a 25 basis point interest...[Read More]

Neutral cash rate a guide, says RBA

12 October

Ultra-low interest rates are clearly no longer appropriate but a senior central bank official says the road to “neutral” remains flexible. Assistant governor Luci Ellis has provided guidance on how the Reserve Bank of Australia views the...[Read More]

RBA decision risks higher cash rate peak

6 October

The surprise slowdown in the pace of rate rises risks dragging out the rate hiking cycle and forcing the central bank to go even higher than expected to dampen demand. The Reserve Bank of Australia’s 0.25 percentage point lift is the sixth...[Read More]

RBA lifts cash rate by 25 basis points

5 October

The central bank has slowed the pace of rate hikes, lifting the official cash rate by 25 basis points despite expectations of another 50 basis point jump. The 0.25 percentage point lift is the sixth rate hike in a row and brings the cash rate to 2.6...[Read More]

Another oversized rate hike on the cards

28 September

Another oversized rate hike is looking more likely in light of troubling global economic conditions putting central banks under pressure to keep hiking rates aggressively. Some economists have tweaked their forecasts upwards ahead of the Reserve...[Read More]

Rate hikes could help home buyers: RBA

21 September

It takes around two years for elevated interest rates to dampen house prices enough to offset higher mortgage repayments, a senior RBA official says. Interest rate hikes diminish the amount buyers can borrow, which the Reserve Bank of...[Read More]

Consumer spending slowdown starts to show

14 September

Rate hikes and the soaring cost of living are finally starting to weigh on household spending. Non-essential outgoings decreased in August, according to CommBank’s household spending intentions index, with sectors such as travel,...[Read More]

RBA’s ‘past decisions’ under scrutiny

14 September

A parliamentary committee will grill the head of the Reserve Bank over the central bank’s past decisions. Australian mortgage holders have endured five rate rises as the RBA seeks to bring inflation under control, with the central bank’s...[Read More]

RBA flags end of big-hit cash rate rises

7 September

The central bank delivered another super-sized rate hike in September but economists expect future rate rises to be more restrained. The Reserve Bank of Australia hiked interest rates by 50 basis points on Tuesday, bringing the official cash rate to...[Read More]

[ANIMATED VIDEO] What does the Reserve Bank do?

25 March

  Find out what the Reserve Bank of Australia does in this short animated video. Learn more at www.rba.gov.au/education.