HONG KONG (Reuters) -The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) on Friday cut by 25 basis points its base rate charged via the overnight discount window, to 5.0%, tracking a move by the U.S. Federal Reserve.
Major Hong Kong banks followed with HSBC cutting its Hong Kong dollar best lending rate by 25 basis points and Bank of China (Hong Kong) also cutting its Hong Kong dollar prime rate by the same magnitude.
“In light of another U.S. rate cut and factors including economic and market conditions, HSBC decided to lower its Hong Kong dollar deposit and lending interest rates,” Luanne Lim, chief executive officer, Hong Kong, HSBC, said in a statement.
The Asian financial hub’s monetary policy moves in lock-step with the United States as its currency is pegged to the greenback in a tight range of 7.75 to 7.85 a dollar.
“The pace of future rate cuts remains uncertain as it is subject to U.S. economic data, which will be influenced by fiscal, economic and trade policies,” the HKMA said in a statement.
The Fed cut rates by a quarter of a percentage point on Thursday as it began taking stock of what could become a more complex economic landscape when President-elect Donald Trump takes office next year.
Fed Chair Jerome Powell said the results of Tuesday’s presidential election would have no “near-term” impact on U.S. monetary policy.
The HKMA said the U.S. rate-cut cycle was still at an initial stage and the decision to cut rates would not affect Hong Kong’s financial and monetary stability.
The financial and monetary markets had continued to operate in a smooth and orderly manner, it added.
“Interest rates might still remain at relatively high levels for some time,” the HKMA said, urging careful assessment and management of the interest rate risk when making property purchase, mortgage or other borrowing decisions.
(Reporting by Hong Kong Newsroom; Editing by Chris Reese, Clarence Fernandez and Kim Coghill)
