RBNZ Chief Bollard: Strong Currency Not An Impediment To Rate Hike
(RTTNews) - The high value of the New Zealand dollar is not necessarily an impediment to raising the Official Cash Rate to quell rising house prices, Reserve Bank Governor Alan Bollard said Wednesday.
According to a report published in the Radio New Zealand Web site, Bollard told lawmakers that there is little the Reserve Bank can do to bring down the soaring value of the New Zealand dollar.
He said said the strength of the Kiwi against the U.S. dollar is due to that currency’s weakness.
Moreover, Bollard said money markets are already factoring in earlier rises in the cash rate and it was debatable whether or not this would push the dollar higher.
Yesterday, the country’s biggest fund manager said New Zealand’s central bank may need to raise its official cash rate in March to curb rising inflationary pressure
“The odds are building for an earlier tightening than the Reserve Bank of New Zealand is currently signaling,” Jason Wong, head of investment strategy at AMP Capital Investors said.
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Posted in Categories: Economy, New Zealand, Releases, USA.

