Good afternoon. It’s a Tuesday surprise with the Reserve Bank defying the expectations of most economists and hiking the cash rate 25 basis points to 3.85%.
The market had largely expected the RBA to hold interest rates this month following a slight easing of inflation. The rate hike comes amid significant scrutiny of the central bank, with Greens senator Nick McKim warning in a column today that the federal government’s planned reforms might actually push the Reserve Bank further into the interests of corporations.