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WELLINGTON (Reuters) -New Zealand’s central bank on Wednesday announced a halt to its pandemic-induced quantitative easing programme, sending the Kiwi dollar soaring as markets bet that a rate hike was now imminent this year.
FILE PHOTO: Pedestrians walk near the main entrance to the Reserve Bank of New Zealand located in central Wellington, New Zealand, July 3, 2017. REUTERS/David Gray
The Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) kept its official cash rate at 0.25% but cut short a NZ$100 billion ($70 billion) bond buying programme, prompting local banks to bring forward calls for a rate rise to as early as August, which would put New Zealand at the forefront of countries to raise interest rates.