Australia central bank to stand pat on rates at December meeting: poll

[SYDNEY] Australia's central bank is seen certain to keep its cash rate at a record low of 1.5 per cent at its monthly policy meeting next week, a Reuters poll of economists found on Friday.

All 64 economists polled forecast the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) would stand pat on Tuesday, following cuts in May and August.

Seventeen respondents expect at least one more easing by mid-2017 against 29 polled last month. On the longer term, opinions are far more divided with 20 economists forecasting a rate hike by early 2018, against 15 seeing a cut.

REUTERS