Reserve Bank of Australia Interest Rate Decision

The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) interest rate decision is the only major central bank announcement released early in the morning Tehran time, before the European market opens and when many Iranian traders have only just sat down at their charts. The Cash Rate set by the Reserve Bank of Australia directly affects the value of the Australian dollar. At the top of this page you can see the current rate, the time of the next meeting with a countdown, and a chart of Australian interest rate changes since 2000. This guide explains how the meetings work and which parts of them the market is sensitive to.

What is the RBA cash rate?

The cash rate is the interest rate on overnight loans between banks, and the Reserve Bank of Australia targets it as its main monetary policy tool. When this rate rises, borrowing becomes more expensive for households and businesses and price growth slows; when it falls, the opposite happens and the economy is stimulated. The bank's inflation target is 2 to 3 percent, and alongside it the bank also pays attention to full employment. That is why the most important input to this decision is the Australian inflation (CPI) data.

Meetings per year and announcement time in Tehran time

Since 2024, the Reserve Bank of Australia has held 8 monetary policy meetings a year. Each meeting lasts two days, and the decision is announced on the second day at 2:30 pm Sydney time. The key point for Iranian traders is that the seasons in Australia are reversed:

• From roughly Farvardin to Mehr, when Sydney is not on daylight saving time, the decision is announced at 8:00 am Tehran time.
• From roughly Mehr to Farvardin, when Sydney is on daylight saving time, it is announced at 7:00 am Tehran time.

See the date of the next meeting in the countdown on this page or in the central bank interest rates table .

Statement, press conference and quarterly report

The rate figure itself is usually largely predictable in advance, and much of the volatility comes from three other components that appear separately in the calendar:

Component	Timing	What to look for
Rate Statement	Together with the decision	Sentences about upcoming meetings and the bank's assessment of inflation and the labor market
Governor's press conference	About one hour after the decision	Answers to reporters' questions; sometimes shows a tone more hawkish or dovish than the statement
Statement on Monetary Policy	Four times a year, alongside some meetings	The bank's own forecasts for inflation, growth and unemployment

Hawkish and dovish tone

The market compares the text of the statement with the previous meeting. If the bank shows more concern about inflation or leaves the door open to a rate hike, the tone is read as "hawkish" and usually tends to strengthen the Australian dollar. References to economic weakness or readiness to cut rates are a "dovish" tone and have the opposite effect. Sometimes the rate stays unchanged, but a few new words in the statement drive the main move of the day.

The Australian dollar, commodities and global risk appetite

The Australian dollar is not only sensitive to interest rates. Australia is a major exporter of raw materials and China is its most important trading partner; that is why the Australian dollar often moves in the same direction as commodity prices and the general mood of global markets, and weakens during risk-off periods. As a result, the impact of an RBA decision can be overshadowed on the same day by news from China or the US.

The strongest reaction is usually seen in the currency pair AUD/USD . Because the Reserve Bank of New Zealand is in the same region, traders often compare the RBA decision with the Reserve Bank of New Zealand interest rate decision and, of course, with the Federal Reserve decision ; the interest rate differential between the two countries is one of the main drivers of this pair's direction.

Trading on the morning of the RBA decision: risk notes

• The announcement comes during the Asian session; liquidity is lower than during London and New York hours, and moves can be sharp and erratic. To learn about these hours, see the article Forex and crypto trading sessions .
• After the decision is announced, the press conference can reverse the initial direction; don't rush.
• If you have an open position on the Australian dollar overnight, review your stop loss and position size before going to bed, because the news is released before your working day begins.
• Set the maximum risk per trade in advance; 10 key risk management standards in trading provides a good framework.

This page is for information about the timing and meaning of the news and is not a buy or sell recommendation.