The Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) board members decided to raise the official cash rate (OCR) by 50 basis points (bps) from 4.75% to 5.25% at the April monetary policy meeting. The rate hike decision surpassed market expectations.

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Why the RBNZ decision matters to traders?

The Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) holds monetary policy meetings seven times a year, announcing their decision on interest rates and the economic assessments that influenced their decision. The central bank offers clues on the economic outlook and future policy path, which are of high relevance for the NZD valuation. Positive economic developments and an upbeat outlook could lead the RBNZ to tighten the policy by hiking interest rates, which tends to be NZD bullish.