RBNZ Governor Breman says OCR trajectory is aligned with the anticipated evolution of the economy, adds OCR track indicates there is a possibility of a hike towards the end of the year but noted Q4 hike is not fully priced in to the OCR track

Governor Breman's comments suggest a cautious approach from the RBNZ, indicating that while a hike may be on the table towards year-end, the lack of full pricing in implies uncertainty.

Newsquawk StaffPublished 18 Feb 2026, 02:33 UTCOn the live feed at 02:13 UTC — 1 more headline followed before this page went public

Newsquawk headlinesUTC

02:50

[MARKET ANALYSIS] DXY ekes slight gains in rangebound trade, while NZD underperforms after the RBNZ kept rates unchanged and refrained from any hawkish surprises

02:20

[MARKET ANALYSIS] T-note futures languish at the prior day's trough after recent curve flattening and better-than-expected data

02:13

RBNZ Governor Breman says OCR trajectory is aligned with the anticipated evolution of the economy, adds OCR track indicates there is a possibility of a hike towards the end of the year but noted Q4 hike is not fully priced in to the OCR track

02:03

Japan's Finance Minister Katayama says will carry out responsible fiscal policy, while keeping in mind the IMF's preliminary policy recommendation

02:03

RBNZ Governor Breman says forward path reflects stronger economic outlook

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Says:

Want to keep OCR on hold while the economy recovers.
Not planning to hike until we see a stronger economy and more inflationary pressure.
Expects to continue to shrink the balance sheet.

Context

His intention to maintain the OCR on hold until economic conditions improve points to a dovish stance, with potential implications for NZD and fixed income as markets assess when a rate hike could materialize.

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