NZ dollar climbs as RBNZ indicates need to increase OCR sooner and by more than envisaged

The New Zealand dollar firmed up on Wednesday after the central bank left OCR rates unchanged and signaled possibility of further rate hikes in futures. The OCR will most likely need to increase sooner and by more than envisaged in the February Monetary Policy Statement, RBNZ said in the statement. The pace of OCR increases will depend on the relative influence of persistent wage- and price-setting behaviour versus weaker economic activity on medium-term inflation pressures, it further noted. The Committee remains focused on ensuring that increased costs do not lead to elevated inflation over the medium term, while avoiding unnecessary economic volatility. The central bank also noted that New Zealands trading partners are expected to see weaker growth and higher inflation as global economic backdrop remains uncertain. Reserve Bank of New Zealand kept its official cash rate unchanged at 2.25% as expected. New Zealand dollar climbed 0.70% to around $0.587 this morning.