South African Reserve Bank
50-Basis Point South African Central Bank Rate Hike Surpasses Expectations
March 30, 2023
The previous rate two rate hikes of 50 basis points in November and 25 basis points in January had been smaller than their predecessor moves, and this month’s decision to raise the repo rate resulted from a 3-2 split decision with two members of the South African Reserve Bank‘s Monetary Policy Committee favoring another 25-basis […] More
Today’s South African Reserve Bank Rate Hike of 25 Basis Points Was Less Than Predicted
January 26, 2023
Instead of a 50-basis point rate hike to 7.50% by a 3-2 vote of policymakers, the five-person Monetary Policy Committee voted 3-2 to increase South Africa’s repo rate to 7.25%. The interest rate had been at 6.5% coming into the pandemic year of 2020 and was sliced to 3.5% in five moves by May of […] More
South African Reserve Bank Interest Rate by Most Since 2002
July 21, 2022
Facing the most CPI inflation in 13 years (7.4%), officials at the South African Reserve Bank lifted the repo rate to 5.5% from 4.75%. This was the fifth increase since November 2021 and the largest move in almost two decades. During the first year of the pandemic, the rate had been slashed by 300 basis […] More
South African Reserve Bank Interest Rate Hiked 50 Basis Points after 4-1 Vote
May 19, 2022
With one dissent favoring a 25-basis point increment, South Africa’s Monetary Policy Committee agreed to increase its interest rate to 4.75%. This new level is 125 basis points above the pandemic low of 3.5% prevailing from July 2020 until November 2021 but 175 basis points below the pre-pandemic level of 6.5%. A released statement lays […] More
Stagflationary Outlook Gaining Traction and Western Leaders in Brussels Plan Contingent Plans for Ukraine Crisis
March 24, 2022
The world’s attention today is on Brussels where U.S. President Biden will be meeting with NATO allies, the European Council of political leaders, and Other Group of Seven members. The meetings are meant to coordinate a response to Russia’s continuing invasion of Ukraine, where the use of Russian weapons of mass destruction appears increasingly probable. […] More
Dollar Ending Week on an Up-Note But Euro Steady
March 26, 2021
The dollar overnight appreciated another 0.35% on a trade weighted basis, but strength wasn’t even this time. The dollar rose 0.6% against the yen and 1.0% relative to the Turkish lira. The key EUR/USD relationship is unchanged, and the greenback has slipped 0.4% versus the New Zealand and Australian dollars, 0.3% vis-a-vis the Canadian dollar […] More
Slew of U.S. Executive Orders and Central Bank Policy Reviews
January 21, 2021
President Biden’s inaugural address yesterday called for national unity to face down the many severe challenges now juxtaposed. 17 executive orders followed to reverse several polices of the Trump era. Contrary to warnings, inauguration day was free of domestic violence. U.S. stocks experienced their greatest advance on a presidential inauguration day since 1985, when Reagan […] More
South African Reserve Bank
November 19, 2020
Although the South African Reserve Bank’s repo rate was left unchanged at 3.5%, the vote not to ease of 3-2 was razor-thin. Each dissenter preferred a 25-basis point cut to add to earlier easing moves this year of 25 basis points in January, 100 bps each in March and April, 50 bps in May and […] More
Mixed Signals this Friday
September 18, 2020
China’s Shanghai Composite equity index jumped 2.1%, but share prices fell 1.4% in New Zealand and 0.3% in Australia and India. Japan’s Nikkei rose only 0.2%, and Spanish stocks have so far dropped 1.2% on the day. The dollar climbed to another record high against the Turkish lira and shows a year-to-date advance of more […] More
By 3-2 Vote, South African Central Bank Officials Cut Repo Rate by 25 Basis Points
July 23, 2020
The fifth cut of the South African Reserve Bank repo rate this year brings the total drop of 2020 to 300 basis points. A released statement expects one more 25-bp reduction to be made around the final quarter of the year. The projected contraction of real GDP was revised a touch higher to 7.3%. “economic […] More
