Interest Rates
Banco de la República hikes interest rate to 10.25% amid inflation surge and minimum wage controversy
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Colombia's Banco de la República raised its intervention rate by 100 basis points to 10.25%—the highest in over a year—in its first 2026 board meeting, citing persistent inflation above 5% for nearly six months and unanchored expectations from a 23.8% minimum wage hike decreed by President Petro's government. The decision, with a split 4-2-1 vote, drew market surprise and government criticism over economic contraction risks.
The Monetary Policy Committee (Copom) of Brazil's Central Bank kept the Selic rate at 15% per year for the fifth consecutive time on January 28, 2026, but signaled it will start cuts at the March meeting if the economic scenario holds. The decision reflects cooling inflation, which ended 2025 at 4.26%, below the target ceiling. Analysts and groups like the CNI see room for easing, but the BC stresses caution amid unanchored expectations and global uncertainties.
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The Hong Kong Monetary Authority kept its base rate at 4% unchanged, mirroring the US Federal Reserve's decision to hold rates steady. This leaves borrowers in the city waiting longer for funding costs to fall amid ongoing uncertainties. The authority urged the public to manage interest rate risks carefully in decisions on property, investments, or borrowing.
The Bank of Japan decided on December 19 to raise its short-term policy rate target from 0.5% to 0.75%, marking a 30-year high since 1995 and the first increase since January. The move anticipates wage hikes and aims to achieve the 2% inflation target amid elevated inflation and a weak yen.
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The Composite Stock Price Index (IHSG) opened up 0.32% at 8,705 on Thursday, December 18, 2025, following Bank Indonesia's (BI) decision to hold the benchmark rate at 4.75%. Analysts predict consolidation today, though the medium-term trend remains upward.
The Central Bank of Kenya has cut its benchmark interest rate by 25 basis points to 9 percent from 9.25 percent. This move, announced on December 9, 2025, aims to support economic growth amid resilient global and local conditions. It offers relief to borrowers as banks adjust their lending rates downward.
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Key members of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s government would not oppose a Bank of Japan rate hike in December. Markets and the administration have accepted Governor Kazuo Ueda’s pitch for a 0.25 percentage point increase to 0.75%, viewing it as nearly certain. However, the BOJ’s plans for communicating longer-term rate intentions remain unclear.
Central bank may raise interest rates by 50 basis points
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