Reserve Bank of Australia Governor Philip Lowe speech at the Anika Foundation Lunch

  • RBA board sees no strong case for near-term rate move
  • Says next rate move likely to be up if economy evolves as expected
  • Timing of move depends on unemployment, inflation moving to middle of target range
  • Says natural for rates to eventually return to more "normal" levels
  • Financial risks moving in right direction as house prices, borrowing eases
  • Wages picking up in pockets of labour market, broader rise will be gradual
  • Says expects inflation to rise close to 2.5 pct in 2020
  • Unemployment to reach 5 pct over next few years
  • Says 5 pct is conventional estimate of full employment, but could go lower
  • Latest data consistent with forecasts for economic growth bit above 3 pct in 2018/2019
  • Says Australia's demographic profile more positive than of many other countries
  • Higher migration has led to faster population growth than in other advanced economies
  • Migration one reason economy has experienced higher average growth
  • Migrants tend to be younger, changing our demographic profile in a positive way

The comments from Lowe on his outlook for monetary policy and the economy are unchanged from past weeks, months …. looks like we are goin' nowhere fast …

Probably a good heads up to the SoMP coming up on Friday.

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Background to this here: