Economic data

The RBNZ surprised markets with a pause and the Kiwi sank 1.6%: Why December hike bets may not save it

FXStreet28 October 2026, 12:05 UTCNew Zealand

The US Dollar (USD) capitalized on an unexpected monetary policy pause by the Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ), which held its Official Cash Rate (OCR) at 2.75% in a narrow 4–3 vote despite widespread market expectations for a 25-basis-points (bps) rate hike.

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