Pressure on interest rates to ease - possibly
Yesterday's 0.2% fall in GDP might make the Reserve Bank's job slightly easier, according to advice done for Westpac.
Acting chief economist Michael Gordon thinks it might lessen any need to push the OCR close to 4%, as had been warned.
Gordon said even though the economy was still running ahead of its non- inflationary equilibrium, there was now a greater option for a soft landing, which could make interest payments for borrowers slightly easier in future years.
But the margin won't be great - Gordon is still forecasting an OCR peak of 3.5% and a return to growth next quarter.
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