
A worse-than-forecast inflation outlook, slightly above expectations, was highlighted by Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) Deputy Governor Andrew Hauser on Wednesday. With forecasts still being finalised, Hauser said he remained uncertain about the board’s decisions.
Forecasts are still being finalised; the board’s decision remains uncertain.
The outlook for inflation looks worse than forecast and slightly above expectations.
Cost pressures rank as companies’ leading concern.
Elevated inflation has persisted for a prolonged period.
Expectations for inflation must remain anchored to the target.
Some easing has been observed in employment data and housing.
Although monetary policy is working, the inflation outlook is worsening.
Responding to supply shocks is necessary to keep inflation expectations anchored.
The quarterly trimmed mean is likely to come in above expectations.
Current inflation cannot be the target, though it remains relevant.
Constraints on capacity are more severe than anticipated.
The September labour report fell somewhat short of expectations.
Despite low unemployment, the labour market is easing.

Gains in AUD/USD remain intact at the time of writing, with the pair trading near 0.7009, up 0.45% on the day.
Australia’s monetary policy and interest rates are managed by the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA). A board of governors takes decisions at 11 meetings each year, with additional emergency meetings convened when needed. Maintaining price stability, defined as inflation of 2-3%, is the RBA’s primary mandate. It is also tasked “..to contribute to the stability of the currency, full employment, and the economic prosperity and welfare of the Australian people.” Adjustments to interest rates are its principal means of meeting these objectives. Higher interest rates, in relative terms, strengthen the Australian Dollar (AUD), while lower rates have the opposite effect. Quantitative easing and quantitative tightening are among the RBA’s other policy tools.
With cross-border capital controls having been relaxed, inflation’s effect on currencies in modern times has been the reverse of the traditional view. Historically, inflation was considered negative for currencies because it erodes the value of money. Today, moderately higher inflation tends to prompt central banks to raise interest rates. Those higher rates attract additional capital from global investors looking for attractive returns on their money. The resulting inflows lift demand for the domestic currency, which in Australia’s case is the Australian Dollar.
The value of a currency can respond to macroeconomic releases because they indicate how healthy an economy is. Investors favour stable, expanding economies over those that are vulnerable and contracting. As more capital flows in, overall demand for the domestic currency rises, increasing its value. For AUD, key indicators include GDP, Manufacturing and Services PMIs, employment figures and consumer sentiment surveys. Economic strength may also prompt the Reserve Bank of Australia to raise interest rates, providing further support to AUD.
When interest rate cuts alone cannot restore credit flows through the economy, Quantitative Easing (QE) offers a policy tool for extreme circumstances. Under QE, the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) prints Australian Dollars (AUD) to purchase assets from financial institutions, supplying them with much-needed liquidity. These assets are generally government or corporate bonds. The usual effect of QE is a weaker AUD.
Once an economic recovery is under way and inflation begins to rise, Quantitative tightening (QT) reverses the process of QE. During QE, the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) supplies liquidity to financial institutions by purchasing government and corporate bonds. Under QT, it ceases further asset purchases and no longer reinvests the principal received as bonds in its existing portfolio mature. This would support the Australian Dollar, making it a positive, or bullish, development for the currency.