The New Zealand dollar inched up to $0.564 on Friday, extending its rebound from a two-week low as investors weighed the Reserve Bank of New Zealand’s policy outlook. RBNZ Assistant Governor Karen Silk suggested that a December rate increase could be justified if inflationary pressures persist and both domestic and global economic conditions prove more resilient than anticipated.
Her comments followed remarks from Governor Anna Breman on Thursday, who indicated a strong likelihood of a December rate hike. Breman noted that all Monetary Policy Committee members agreed that further tightening is probably needed, though the precise timing would depend on the inflation trajectory and broader economic conditions.
The central bank surprised markets on Wednesday by keeping the official cash rate unchanged at 2.75%, while clearly signaling that additional increases remain on the table. Futures pricing now implies a 76% probability of a December hike, with investors expecting the OCR to peak at 3.75% or higher.
Despite Friday’s gains, the kiwi is still down 1% for the week after two consecutive weeks of advances, though it remains up 0.1% for the month.
