Will interest rates go down in 2024 Australia?
Will interest rates go down in 2024 in Australia? It is difficult to predict, but most banking economists are suggesting that rates will fall in late 2024 as the impact of the RBA's rate rises flows through to the economy and inflation begins to soften.
Inflation and Fed hikes have pushed mortgage rates up to a 20-year high. 30-year mortgage rates are currently expected to fall to somewhere between 6.1% and 6.4% in 2024. Instead of waiting for rates to drop, homebuyers should consider buying now and refinancing later to avoid increased competition next year.
Official interest rates will come down when inflation reaches the RBA target band of 2% to 3%, most like in September 2024 (Q4). Inflation is coming down in 2024. Home loan interest rates have already started to drop.
The Commonwealth Bank forecasts rates could fall to 2.85 per cent in June 2025. Westpac forecasts they will drop to 3.10 per cent in September next year, while NAB believes they will fall to 3.10 per cent in December 2025. Ten of Finder's panel of 27 experts predicted the first cut to be in 2025.
The official RBA cash rate rose by 25 basis points to 4.35% in November 2023, and was left unchanged by the Reserve Bank of Australia Board in December last year. The Board has held the policy rate at 4.35% at its two meetings in 2024 so far, on February 6 and March 19.
“We have 75 basis points of rate cuts in our profile in late 2024 and a further 75 basis point of easing in the first quarter of 2025, which would take the cash rate to 2.85 per cent,” CBA's head of Australian economics Gareth Aird told the ABC.
After its December 2023 meeting, the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) predicted making three quarter-point cuts by the end of 2024 to lower the federal funds rate to 4.6%. Inflation has started to recede, but the committee has signaled it wants to see more positive data before pulling the trigger.
The expected decreasing inflationary pressure, plus the added impact of a falling federal funds rate in 2024, is likely to push mortgage rates lower. But while the Fed raised its benchmark rate fast in 2022–2023, it's expected to bring rates down at a much more gradual pace in 2024 and beyond.
Here's where three experts predict mortgage rates are heading: Around 6% or below by Q1 2025: "Rates hit 8% towards the end of last year, and right now we are seeing rates closer to 6.875%," says Haymore. "By the first quarter of 2025, mortgage rates could potentially fall below the 6% threshold, or maybe even lower."
High inflation outcomes in Australia reflect a range of developments, including: supply issues related to the war in Ukraine; other global supply disruptions resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic; and domestic supply disruptions from poor weather.
Why is Australia increasing interest rates?
To pull down inflation, the RBA has to increase the cash rate, which leads to higher savings interest rates and loan rates. Higher savings and loan interest rates would discourage people from spending and consequently bring down the prices and inflation. The continual rise in interest rates is caused by COVID-19.
The current official cash rate as determined by the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) is 4.35%. The next RBA Board meeting and Official Cash Rate announcement will be on the 7th May 2024.
3.4 Detailed forecast information
Using this methodology, the cash rate remains around its current level of 4.35 per cent until mid-2024 before declining to around 3¼ per cent by the middle of 2026. This cash rate path is a little lower than at the November Statement .
RBA cash rate target and forecasts to December 2026
While rates have risen 13 times since May 2022, the drop won't be so far nor so fast. Even by the end of 2026 rates will probably only be around 1% lower than now. And this may be as low as interest rates go.
The median estimate for the fed-funds rate target range at the end of 2025 moved to 3.75% to 4%, from 3.5% to 3.75% in December. For the end of 2026, the median dot now shows a target range of 3% to 3.25%, versus 2.75% to 3% three months ago.
NAB economists predict that the current level of 4.35% is the cash rate's peak, with the first cuts to occur in the December quarter of 2024, and rates reducing to 3.10% by the end of 2025.
- Open 4.267%
- Day Range 4.267 - 4.346.
- 52 Week Range 3.287 - 5.002.
- Price 95 8/32.
- Change -18/32.
- Change Percent -0.57%
- Coupon Rate 3.750%
- Maturity May 21, 2034.
Bonds | Yield | Month |
---|---|---|
Australia 30Y | 4.60 | 0.194% |
Australia 3Y | 3.83 | 0.283% |
Australia 5Y | 3.90 | 0.290% |
Australia 7Y | 4.05 | 0.288% |
Average fixed interest rates in April 2024
1 year fixed: 6.47% p.a. 2 year fixed: 6.34% p.a. 3 year fixed: 6.28% p.a. 4 year fixed: 6.46% p.a.
Date | Value |
---|---|
December 31, 2024 | 3.50% |
September 30, 2024 | 5.75% |
June 30, 2024 | 5.75% |
March 31, 2024 | 5.75% |
Will interest rates go down in 2026?
Survey: Fed will keep interest rates historically high until end of 2026.
If the Federal Reserve cuts interest rates too quickly, it could spur inflation, erasing all the work the central bank has done to curb increasing prices over the past couple of years. So, any rate cuts in 2024 are likely to be minimal and unlikely to result in mortgage rates dropping to 3%.
Interest rate futures currently imply a terminal rate of 3.7% by the end of 2026, a good bit higher than the Fed's projected 3.1% over the same time horizon, never mind the long-run neutral view of 2.6%.
ING's interest rate predictions indicate 2024 rates starting at 4%, with subsequent cuts to 3.75% in the second quarter. Then, 3.5% in the third, and 3.25% in the final quarter of 2024. In 2025, ING predicts a further decline to 3%.
These futures can also be short-term or long-term. Short-term interest rate futures have an underlying instrument with a maturity of less than one year, while long-term interest rate futures have an underlying instrument with a maturity of over one year.
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