RBA’s Kent: No change to current rundown of balance sheet

Reserve Bank of Australia Assistant Governor Christopher Kent

Headlines via Reuters:

  • RBA to adopt an ample reserves system for monetary policy
  • To use open market
    repo operations at a price near the cash rate target
  • To offer repos in
    full allotment auctions
  • Supply of reserves
    can rise and fall in line with changes in demand
  • RBA could also
    supply reserves via purchases of short-dated government bonds and/or
    fx swaps
  • Can respond to
    market stresses if needed, including by conducting OMO more
    frequently than once a week
  • Will end the current
    ‘floor’ system with an excess of reserves
  • RBA’s balance
    sheet will be no larger than needs to be in order to implement
    monetary policy
  • No change to current
    rundown of balance sheet by holding bonds to maturity
  • Public consultation
    and liaison with market participants will commence shortly

The brief explanations (via Reuters):

  • The RBA intends to change the way it provides liquidity to the banking system, moving to one that provides ample liquidity through regular money market operations.
  • Kent said the Bank would end its current system of setting a floor for rates with excess reserves and an exchange settlement (ES) rate. Instead, it will shift over time to a system of ample reserves in which banks’ demands for reserves are satisfied via open market repo operations at a price near the cash rate target, in what are known as full allotment auctions.

AUD barely noticed:

This article was written by Eamonn Sheridan at www.forexlive.com. Source