The Reserve Bank of Australia maintained its official interest rate at 4.35% due to a slowing economy and rising unemployment. This decision offers little relief to mortgage holders facing increased costs from previous rate hikes. Higher fuel prices are contributing to inflation.
The Reserve Bank of Australia kept its official interest rate at 4.35% but warned of further hikes if inflation persists. Governor Michele Bullock stated that price rises are still too fast, indicating a potential increase if necessary. The RBA is not alarmed by a rise in unemployment to 4.5%, viewing the job market as still tight.
The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) has kept its official interest rate at 4.35% but warned of further hikes if inflation persists. Governor Michele Bullock indicated a rate rise is possible due to ongoing price pressures, despite a slight increase in unemployment. The decision offers little immediate relief to mortgage holders.
The Reserve Bank of Australia maintained its official interest rate at 4.35% due to slowing economic activity and a four-year high in unemployment. This decision offers little immediate relief to mortgage holders facing increased repayments from previous hikes.
The opposition leader says the federal government is responsible for the Reserve Bank's interest rate rise. Follow live.
Long-term UK borrowing costs hit 28-year high on expectations of higher inflation, and speculation that local elections could prompt leadership challengeFull story: UK’s long-term borrowing costs hit highest level since 1998HSBC profits fall amid $400m fraud-related charge and Iran warAustralia hikes interest rates to 4.35% in blow to mortgage holdersThose credit losses have “overshadowed” HSBC’s results in the last quarter, reports Will Howlett, financials analyst at Quilter Cheviot:HSBC’s quarter was dominated by a sharp and unexpected jump in credit losses, which took the shine off otherwise solid trading and pushed profits just below expectations. A $400m fraud-related loss in the UK drove a marked rise in bad loan charges and has put fresh focus on the risks sitting within more complex lending, even as the rest of the loan book remains stable.Profits were broadly flat on last year, as higher income was absorbed by rising costs and credit charges. Revenues grew 4%, slightly ahead of expectations, helped mainly by fees rather than interest income. Wealth management continued to perform well, though growth has slowed from last year’s pace.“HSBC’s results always bring more of an international flavour than its UK peers. Unfortunately that means the Hormuz crisis looms large in the results, casting a shadow over an otherwise solid set of numbers.The theme is grimly familiar to investors; were it not for the crisis, earnings outlooks would be much rosier. The warnings around the economic impact will only continue to grow the longer the situation remains unresolved.” Continue reading...
Rolling coverage of the latest economic and financial newsHSBC profits fall amid $400m fraud-related charge and Iran warAustralia hikes interest rates to 4.35% in blow to mortgage holdersThose credit losses have “overshadowed” HSBC’s results in the last quarter, reports Will Howlett, financials analyst at Quilter Cheviot:HSBC’s quarter was dominated by a sharp and unexpected jump in credit losses, which took the shine off otherwise solid trading and pushed profits just below expectations. A $400m fraud-related loss in the UK drove a marked rise in bad loan charges and has put fresh focus on the risks sitting within more complex lending, even as the rest of the loan book remains stable.Profits were broadly flat on last year, as higher income was absorbed by rising costs and credit charges. Revenues grew 4%, slightly ahead of expectations, helped mainly by fees rather than interest income. Wealth management continued to perform well, though growth has slowed from last year’s pace.“HSBC’s results always bring more of an international flavour than its UK peers. Unfortunately that means the Hormuz crisis looms large in the results, casting a shadow over an otherwise solid set of numbers.The theme is grimly familiar to investors; were it not for the crisis, earnings outlooks would be much rosier. The warnings around the economic impact will only continue to grow the longer the situation remains unresolved.” Continue reading...
Rolling coverage of the latest economic and financial newsHSBC profits fall amid $400m fraud-related charge and Iran warAustralia hikes interest rates to 4.35% in blow to mortgage holdersThose credit losses have “overshadowed” HSBC’s results in the last quarter, reports Will Howlett, financials analyst at Quilter Cheviot:HSBC’s quarter was dominated by a sharp and unexpected jump in credit losses, which took the shine off otherwise solid trading and pushed profits just below expectations. A $400m fraud-related loss in the UK drove a marked rise in bad loan charges and has put fresh focus on the risks sitting within more complex lending, even as the rest of the loan book remains stable.Profits were broadly flat on last year, as higher income was absorbed by rising costs and credit charges. Revenues grew 4%, slightly ahead of expectations, helped mainly by fees rather than interest income. Wealth management continued to perform well, though growth has slowed from last year’s pace.“HSBC’s results always bring more of an international flavour than its UK peers. Unfortunately that means the Hormuz crisis looms large in the results, casting a shadow over an otherwise solid set of numbers.The theme is grimly familiar to investors; were it not for the crisis, earnings outlooks would be much rosier. The warnings around the economic impact will only continue to grow the longer the situation remains unresolved.” Continue reading...
Rolling coverage of the latest economic and financial newsAustralia hikes interest rates to 4.35% in blow to mortgage holdersThe Financial Times have a corking story this morning – UK chancellor Rachel Reeves had a “fierce row” with US Treasury secretary Scott Bessent in Washington last month, they say.The pair of finance ministers clashed over the Iran war on the sidelines of the IMF’s Spring Meeting, after Reeves said she was “not convinced” that “we are safer today than we were a few weeks ago”.Reeves responded angrily by telling Bessent she did not work for him and disliked how he had spoken to her.She also reiterated her argument about the Iran conflict lacking clear goals and not necessarily making the world safer.“This is a war that we did not start. It was a war that we did not want. I feel very frustrated and angry that the US went into this war without a clear exit plan, without a clear idea of what they were trying to achieve. And as a result the strait of Hormuz is now blocked.”The decrease reflected higher expected credit losses and other credit impairment charges (‘ECL‘) in 1Q26, an adverse impact from notable items and a rise in operating expenses.The macroeconomic outlook is facing heightened uncertainty, creating volatility in both economic forecasts and financial markets resulting in both tailwinds and headwinds.The Group is well-positioned to manage the impacts of these challenges through our high-quality revenue streams, conservative approach to credit risk and strong deposit franchise. Supporting our clients through this volatile period is a top priority.9am BST: UK car sales for April1.30pm BST: US trade report for March3pm BST: US service sector PMI Continue reading...
Reserve Bank of Australia raises rates for third consecutive meeting, lifting them to early-2025 levelsFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastUse our loan calculator to see how rate hikes could affect you The Reserve Bank has delivered a third straight interest rate hike to contain growing inflationary pressures linked to higher fuel prices, even as it warned the Iranian war would deliver a major blow to the economy.The widely expected decision to lift the cash rate to 4.35% from 4.1% comes as the central bank revealed a gloomy new set of forecasts that showed intensifying cost-of-living pressures alongside weaker growth. Continue reading...
