Hungary Tightens Monetary Policy To Combat High Inflation, External Pressures

RTTNews | 586 일 전
Hungary Tightens Monetary Policy To Combat High Inflation, External Pressures

(RTTNews) - Hungary's central bank took extraordinary measures on Friday to support the weakening forint after Prime Minister Viktor Orban urged the finance minister and the central bank governor to curb inflation that hit a 26-year high in September.

The Monetary Council of the National Bank of Hungary decided to raise the upper bound of the interest rate corridor, leaving the base rate unchanged at 13.0 percent.

The monetary council raised the overnight collateralised lending rate by 950 basis points to 25.0 percent and suspended the one-week collateralised loan with immediate effect.

The bank also announced a one-day foreign exchange swap instrument and overnight (O/N) deposit quick tenders on a daily basis at higher interest rate levels than before.

The bank also committed to meet foreign currency liquidity needs of energy imports in coming months.

The central bank said it stands ready to intervene using every instrument in its monetary policy toolkit to ensure market stability in addition to its primary objective of price stability.

The forint advanced more than 2 percent against the euro after the central bank announcement.

Although this decision by the central bank will add a bit more complexity to the monetary policy setup, these measures are adequate answers to the temporary challenges which the local financial markets are facing, ING economist Peter Virovacz said.

The economist expects the Hungarian forint to stabilize, and with the new liquidity measures reaching full impact the currency will gradually strengthen with a major boost coming with a positive EU decision close to the year-end.

Earlier on Friday, Prime Minister Orban asked finance minister and central bank Governor Gyorgy Matolcsy to halve the inflation rate by the end of next year.

Consumer price inflation had exceeded 20.0 percent in September for the first time since 1996. Inflation has remained above the target range of 2-4 percent since March 2021.

Citing high inflation, the central bank has raised the key interest rate in every policy session since June last year.

read more
Hungary Holds Base Rate Steady At 13%, Slashes Lending Rate By 450 Bps

Hungary Holds Base Rate Steady At 13%, Slashes Lending Rate By 450 Bps

The Hungarian central bank left its key interest rate unchanged on Tuesday, but slashed the overnight lending rate, which was raised significantly in October last year amid the financial market turbulence, as policymakers assessed that the inflation risks are manageable and the financial market concerns have subsided.
RTTNews | 393 일 전
Anglo American And BHP Major Shareholder PIC Demands Substantial Revision Of BHP Proposal For Anglo

Anglo American And BHP Major Shareholder PIC Demands Substantial Revision Of BHP Proposal For Anglo

Public Investment Corp. or PIC, a major shareholder of both Anglo American plc (AAUKY.PK, AAL.L) and BHP Group (BHP), on Wednesday said it requires a meaningful revision of the current BHP proposal for Anglo American to "reflect both the embedded value of existing Anglo assets and the future optionality and benefits that BHP can derive, specifically from Anglo's unlisted assets."
RTTNews | 4 시간 5 분 전
Bay Street Likely To Open Lower

Bay Street Likely To Open Lower

Canadian shares are likely to open on a slightly negative note Wednesday morning as energy and materials sectors may find the going somewhat tough due to weak commodity prices.
RTTNews | 4 시간 54 분 전
Biogen To Buy Human Immunology Biosciences In Deal Valued At Up To $1.8 Bln

Biogen To Buy Human Immunology Biosciences In Deal Valued At Up To $1.8 Bln

Biogen Inc. (BIIB) and privately-held biotechnology company Human Immunology Biosciences or HI-Bio, announced Wednesday the companies have entered into a definitive agreement under which Biogen has agreed to acquire HI-Bio for $1.15 billion upfront and up to $650 million in potential milestone payments.
RTTNews | 4 시간 57 분 전
UK Inflation Slows Less Than Expected To 2.3%

UK Inflation Slows Less Than Expected To 2.3%

UK consumer prices rose more than expected in April due to the stickiness of services inflation, which would possibly delay the timing of the first interest rate cut. Consumer prices rose 2.3 percent on a yearly basis in April, slower than the 3.2 percent increase in March, the Office for National Statistics reported Wednesday.
RTTNews | 5 시간 7 분 전
Target Q1 Profit Misses Estimates, Backs FY24 View; Stock Down

Target Q1 Profit Misses Estimates, Backs FY24 View; Stock Down

Target Corp. shares were losing more than 8 percent in pre-market activity on the NYSE after the general merchandise retailer reported weak profit, sales and comparable sales in its first quarter. Earnings per share missed the Street estimates. Further, the company issued second-quarter outlook and maintained fiscal 2024 forecast.
RTTNews | 5 시간 59 분 전