RBA Governor Bullock sheds light on interest rate path after the expected cut
Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) Governor Michele Bullock is addressing the press conference, explaining the reason behind the interest rate cut to 3.85% in the May policy meeting.
Bullock is responding to media questions as part of a new reporting format for the central bank that started this year.
Key quotes from the RBA press conference
- Must now keep inflation down, well placed to do so.
- This is the right cut for now, more adjustments are possible.
- Was a consensus decisions, discussed holding rates or cutting.
- Did discuss 25 bps or 50 bps.
- Do not know if there will be long series of cuts.
- Cannot say where the cash rate will end up, does not endorse market pricing.
Developing story, please refresh the page for updates.
Economic Indicator
RBA Press Conference
Following the Reserve Bank of Australia’s (RBA) economic policy decision, the Governor delivers a press conference explaining the monetary policy decision. The usual format is a roughly one-hour presser starting with prepared remarks and then opening to questions from the press. Hawkish comments tend to boost the Australian Dollar (AUD), while on the opposite, a dovish message tends to weaken it.
This section below was published at 04:30 GMT to cover the Reserve Bank of Australia’s monetary policy announcements and the initial market reaction.
The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) board members decided to lower the Official Cash Rate (OCR) by 25 basis points (bps) to 3.85% from 4.1%, following the conclusion of its May monetary policy meeting.
The decision was widely anticipated.
Summary of the RBA monetary policy statement
- Escaltion of global trade conflict a key downside risk to economy.
- Global growth outlook downgraded, uncertainty has increased due to US tariff policies.
- Trims core domestic inflation forecasts, unemployment seen slightly higher.
- Lower inflation, higher unemployment forecasts based on market assumption of total 85 bps rate cuts.
- Swift easing in trade tensions could see faster global growth, less rate cuts domestically.
- Market services inflation eased by more than expected, disinflation was broadly based.
- Housing inflation also easing, upside risks to inflation have not materialized.
- Trade weighted a$ broadly unchanged since Feb, providing little support to GDP growth.
- Economy has performed much as forecast, but household consumption looks softer than expected.
- Consumers remain price sensitive, behavior expected to persist for some time.
- Trimmed mean inflation seen at 2.6% June 2025, 2.6% June 2026, 2.6% June 2027.
- GDP growth seen at 1.8% June 2025, 2.2% June 2026, 2.2% June 2027.
- Household consumption growth seen 1.4% June 2025, 2.2% June 2026, 2.4% June 2027.
- Unemployment seen at 4.2% June 2025, 4.3% June 2026, 4.3% June 2027.
- Wage Price Index seen at 3.3% June 2025, 3.1% June 2026, 3.0% June 2027.
- Cash rate assumed at 4.0% June 2025, 3.2% June 2026, 3.2% June 2027.
- Labor market still assessed to be tight, broader capacity pressures have eased.
AUD/USD reaction to the RBA interest rate decision
The Australian Dollar meets fresh supply on the RBA’s decision. The AUD/USD pair is losing 0.43% on the day to trade at 0.6425 as of writing.
Australian Dollar PRICE Today
The table below shows the percentage change of Australian Dollar (AUD) against listed major currencies today. Australian Dollar was the weakest against the Japanese Yen.
| USD | EUR | GBP | JPY | CAD | AUD | NZD | CHF | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USD | -0.03% | -0.04% | -0.07% | 0.09% | 0.42% | 0.22% | -0.09% | |
| EUR | 0.03% | 0.00% | -0.05% | 0.13% | 0.47% | 0.26% | -0.06% | |
| GBP | 0.04% | -0.00% | -0.04% | 0.12% | 0.44% | 0.28% | -0.02% | |
| JPY | 0.07% | 0.05% | 0.04% | 0.16% | 0.49% | 0.28% | 0.04% | |
| CAD | -0.09% | -0.13% | -0.12% | -0.16% | 0.34% | 0.13% | -0.15% | |
| AUD | -0.42% | -0.47% | -0.44% | -0.49% | -0.34% | -0.20% | -0.48% | |
| NZD | -0.22% | -0.26% | -0.28% | -0.28% | -0.13% | 0.20% | -0.28% | |
| CHF | 0.09% | 0.06% | 0.02% | -0.04% | 0.15% | 0.48% | 0.28% |
The heat map shows percentage changes of major currencies against each other. The base currency is picked from the left column, while the quote currency is picked from the top row. For example, if you pick the Australian Dollar from the left column and move along the horizontal line to the US Dollar, the percentage change displayed in the box will represent AUD (base)/USD (quote).
This section below was published on May 19 at 22:45 GMT as a preview of the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) policy announcements.
- The Reserve Bank of Australia is set to cut the interest rate by 25 bps to 3.85% in May.
- Australian central bank Governor Michele Bullock’s comments and updated projections will hold the key.
- The RBA policy announcements would spike up volatility, rocking the Australian Dollar.
The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) is set to lower the Official Cash Rate (OCR) by 25 basis points (bps) to 3.85% from 4.1% after concluding its May monetary policy meeting on Tuesday. The decision will be announced at 04:30 GMT.
The updated economic forecast will be published alongside the policy statement, while RBA Governor Michele Bullock’s press conference will follow at 05:30 GMT.
With the rate reduction already priced in, traders will closely scrutinise the central bank’s updated economic projections and Governor Bullock’s comments for the next direction on interest rates and the Australian Dollar (AUD).
Focus on RBA’s next interest rate move
The recent series of Australian economic data releases have pushed back against markets’ pricing of more interest rate cuts by the RBA this year.
The Australian economy added 89K new jobs in April, beating estimates of a 20K addition by a wide margin, while March’s reading was revised to show the addition of 36.4K jobs instead of 32.2K previously reported. The Unemployment Rate remained unchanged at 4.1% in April.
Meanwhile, Australia’s first-quarter Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose 2.4% compared to the same period last year, coming in higher than the market expectations of a 2.2% increase, and unchanged from the 2.4% rise in the previous quarter.
Trimmed Mean CPI, the RBA’s closely-watched inflation gauge, rose 0.7% on a quarter-over-quarter (QoQ) and 2.9% on an annual basis. The RBA has an inflation target range of 2%-3%.
The Wage Price Index advanced 3.4% annually in the first quarter, exceeding the estimate and the prior reading of 3.2%. On a quarterly basis, wages increased by 0.9%, surpassing the 0.8% forecast.
The nation’s labor market remains strong while the underlying inflation is elevated, which could prompt the RBA to signal prudence on the policy outlook.
Besides, the revisions to the inflation and growth outlook will also help gauge the RBA’s path forward on interest rates.
Previewing the RBA policy decision, TD Securities (TDS) analysts said: “Overnight indexed swaps (OIS) markets have also fully priced in a 25 bps cut. Of interest will be the RBA’s assessment of the risks around tariffs. We see risks of minor downgrades to GDP, but doubt that CPI will shift materially.”
How will the Reserve Bank of Australia decision impact AUD/USD?
RBA Governor Michele Bullock is expected to caution about the economic and inflation outlook, particularly in light of the US tariffs. Therefore, she could reiterate, “have to be careful not to get ahead of ourselves on policy.” Bullock’s cautious remarks could revive the momentum of the AUD/USD recovery.
If Bullock raises concerns about the economic outlook while hinting at further rate cuts, the Aussie is likely to come under intense selling pressure, resuming its downside toward the 0.6300 level.
Dhwani Mehta, Asian Session Lead Analyst at FXStreet, highlights key technical indicators for trading AUD/USD following the policy announcement.
“AUD/USD remains confined in a range between the 200-day Simple Moving Average (SMA) and 50-day SMA heading into the RBA showdown. The 14-day Relative Strength Index (RSI) holds above the midline, currently near 53, keeping the bullish potential intact.”
“A dovish cut by the RBA could send AUD/USD lower toward the 50-day SMA of 0.6333, below which the 100-day SMA at 0.6299 could be tested. If the selling pressure intensifies, the 0.6250 psychological level will be the line in the sand for buyers. Conversely, buyers need acceptance above the 200-day SMA at 0.6452 to resume the recovery toward the November 25 high of 0.6550, followed by the 0.6600 threshold,” Dhwani adds.
RBA FAQs
The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) sets interest rates and manages monetary policy for Australia. Decisions are made by a board of governors at 11 meetings a year and ad hoc emergency meetings as required. The RBA’s primary mandate is to maintain price stability, which means an inflation rate of 2-3%, but also “..to contribute to the stability of the currency, full employment, and the economic prosperity and welfare of the Australian people.” Its main tool for achieving this is by raising or lowering interest rates. Relatively high interest rates will strengthen the Australian Dollar (AUD) and vice versa. Other RBA tools include quantitative easing and tightening.
While inflation had always traditionally been thought of as a negative factor for currencies since it lowers the value of money in general, the opposite has actually been the case in modern times with the relaxation of cross-border capital controls. Moderately higher inflation now tends to lead central banks to put up their interest rates, which in turn has the effect of attracting more capital inflows from global investors seeking a lucrative place to keep their money. This increases demand for the local currency, which in the case of Australia is the Aussie Dollar.
Macroeconomic data gauges the health of an economy and can have an impact on the value of its currency. Investors prefer to invest their capital in economies that are safe and growing rather than precarious and shrinking. Greater capital inflows increase the aggregate demand and value of the domestic currency. Classic indicators, such as GDP, Manufacturing and Services PMIs, employment, and consumer sentiment surveys can influence AUD. A strong economy may encourage the Reserve Bank of Australia to put up interest rates, also supporting AUD.
Quantitative Easing (QE) is a tool used in extreme situations when lowering interest rates is not enough to restore the flow of credit in the economy. QE is the process by which the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) prints Australian Dollars (AUD) for the purpose of buying assets – usually government or corporate bonds – from financial institutions, thereby providing them with much-needed liquidity. QE usually results in a weaker AUD.
Quantitative tightening (QT) is the reverse of QE. It is undertaken after QE when an economic recovery is underway and inflation starts rising. Whilst in QE the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) purchases government and corporate bonds from financial institutions to provide them with liquidity, in QT the RBA stops buying more assets, and stops reinvesting the principal maturing on the bonds it already holds. It would be positive (or bullish) for the Australian Dollar.