(Bloomberg) -- Chinese banks cut their benchmark lending rates after easing by the central bank at the end of September, part of a series of measures aimed at reviving economic growth and halting a housing market slump.
The one-year loan prime rate was lowered to 3.10% from 3.35%, while the five-year LPR was reduced to 3.60% from 3.85%.
The size of the cut is at the upper bound of the 20-25 basis points range forecast by People’s Bank of China Governor Pan Gongsheng in speeches since late September, and bigger than the 20 basis point reduction projected by all 17 economists surveyed by Bloomberg.
The cuts to the LPR — which is set by a group of big Chinese banks — come after the PBOC outlined steps last month to encourage households and companies to borrow money. The measures include lowering interest rates and unlocking liquidity to encourage bank lending.
“The larger cuts confirm the PBOC’s stance of easing monetary policy more quickly, and echo the Politburo’s statement of cutting rates more forcefully,” said Beckly Liu, head of China macro strategy at Standard Chartered Plc.
The offshore yuan was nearly flat at around 7.12 per dollar. Thirty-year government bond yield was little changed at 2.3% amid thin trading in the morning.
China’s top leaders in a September Politburo meeting called for substantial cuts to the interest rates and measures to stop the property market from declining further, their strongest vow yet to stabilize the crucial industry.
The larger-than-expected LPR cuts are meant to contribute to the stabilization of the property market, according to Bruce Pang, chief economist for Greater China at Jones Lang LaSalle Inc.
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More Easing
The PBOC has signaled more easing is on the cards. Pan reiterated on Friday that the central bank may lower the reserve requirement ratio — which frees up cash for banks to lend — by another 25 to 50 basis points by the end of the year based on the liquidity situation.
As for interest rates, many expect the PBOC to only reduce them again next year after the recent outsized cuts.
However, if there are “major negative shocks to growth and financial markets, then the PBOC could be more aggressive in its easing to counter such shocks,” Xiaojia Zhi, head of research at Credit Agricole CIB.
Most new and outstanding loans in China are based on the one-year LPR, while the five-year rate influences the pricing of mortgages and other long-term loans.
China’s largest state-owned lenders cut their deposit rates last week, a step to offset the effects of lower loan rates on their narrowing profit margins.
--With assistance from Iris Ouyang, Wenjin Lv and Shulun Huang.
(Updates with additional economist comments from fifth paragraph)
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