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| Russian rouble dives to fresh low despite shock 17% rate rise | |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Russia's rouble has fallen to a new record low despite a dramatic interest rate rise by its central bank. | |
| It increased rates from 10.5% to 17% in an attempt to boost the currency's value against the dollar. | |
| The rouble has lost almost 50% against the US dollar this year as falling oil prices and Western sanctions continue to weigh on the country's economy. | The rouble has lost almost 50% against the US dollar this year as falling oil prices and Western sanctions continue to weigh on the country's economy. |
| The rate rise helped the rouble to 58 to the dollar early on Tuesday but the dollar now buys as many as 75 roubles. | |
| 'Extraordinary measures' | 'Extraordinary measures' |
| Last week, Russia raised rates to 10.5% from 9.5%, a move that had little impact. The rouble's slide this week was prompted by fears the US was considering a fresh set of sanctions against the country for its support for separatists in Ukraine. | Last week, Russia raised rates to 10.5% from 9.5%, a move that had little impact. The rouble's slide this week was prompted by fears the US was considering a fresh set of sanctions against the country for its support for separatists in Ukraine. |
| The chairwoman of the Russian Central Bank, Elvira Nabiullina, said the latest rate rise should curb inflation and encourage Russians to put more roubles into interest rate-bearing accounts. | The chairwoman of the Russian Central Bank, Elvira Nabiullina, said the latest rate rise should curb inflation and encourage Russians to put more roubles into interest rate-bearing accounts. |
| However, she said she did not expect the rouble's value to be immediately influenced by the rate rise. | However, she said she did not expect the rouble's value to be immediately influenced by the rate rise. |
| "The rouble is currently undervalued according to all fundamental parameters and the state of the economy... and the current account," she said. "But for the rouble to return to its fundamental exchange rate it would take time." | |
| A note from Moscow-based investment bank Sberbank said: "With these steps, the Central Bank is looking to bring stability back to the [foreign exchange] market, which has been behaving irrationally over the last few weeks. This state of affairs required extraordinary measures from the Central Bank." | A note from Moscow-based investment bank Sberbank said: "With these steps, the Central Bank is looking to bring stability back to the [foreign exchange] market, which has been behaving irrationally over the last few weeks. This state of affairs required extraordinary measures from the Central Bank." |
| Neil Shearing, chief emerging markets economist for Capital Economics, said the rate rise "could prove to be a turning point in the 2014 rouble crisis". | Neil Shearing, chief emerging markets economist for Capital Economics, said the rate rise "could prove to be a turning point in the 2014 rouble crisis". |
| "The price, however, will be a further tightening of credit conditions for households and businesses and a deeper downturn in the real economy in 2015," he said. | "The price, however, will be a further tightening of credit conditions for households and businesses and a deeper downturn in the real economy in 2015," he said. |
| Analysis: Stephen Ennis, BBC Monitoring Russian Media Analyst | |
| Yesterday's rouble crash caused barely a ripple on Russia's primetime news last night. | |
| Bulletins on the three main channels on 15 December led with a health scare for a famous poet and the aftermath of the siege in Sydney. Official channel Rossiya 1 ignored the rouble completely, while state-controlled Channel One and Gazprom-Media's NTV both dedicated around a minute to the story - in NTV's case close to the end of the hour-long bulletin. | |
| Channel One used a somewhat misleading screen graphic that understated the currency's collapse. It also warned that shops displaying prices in any other currency than the rouble could face stiff fines. | |
| The rouble had fallen by over 10% on the day. | |
| The last time state TV tried to hush up such a dramatic and nationally important event was when all three main channels completely blanked the protests that followed the disputed parliamentary election in 2011. | |
| Russia's central bank has previously tried unsuccessfully to stabilise the currency, buying roubles in the markets. | |
| It has spent more than $70bn (£44.7bn) supporting the rouble since the start of the year. | |
| "This decision is aimed at limiting substantially increased rouble depreciation risks and inflation risks," the central bank said in a statement. | |
| Last week, the World Bank warned that Russia's economy would shrink by at least 0.7% in 2015 if oil prices did not recover. It says an oil price of $70 a barrel would leave it with a fall of 1.5%. | |
| Capital Economics' latest prediction is for a contraction of 2%, should the price of oil remain close to its current price of $60 a barrel. | |
| Raising interest rates has its own risks, as more expensive borrowing can itself slow growth. But it may also stem the tide of money leaving the country. | |
| Oil prices are at levels not seen for five-and-a-half years. US benchmark crude West Texas Intermediate is below $55 a barrel, while North Sea Brent crude is trading below $60 a barrel. Both benchmarks have fallen by almost half since June. | |
| Analysis: Steve Rosenberg, BBC News, Moscow | Analysis: Steve Rosenberg, BBC News, Moscow |
| When Russia's Central Bank raised its base rate by one percentage point last week, it was like a doctor giving a seriously ill patient a headache tablet. | When Russia's Central Bank raised its base rate by one percentage point last week, it was like a doctor giving a seriously ill patient a headache tablet. |
| Now, it seems, the bank has reached for the defibrillator. | Now, it seems, the bank has reached for the defibrillator. |
| The 6.5 percentage point increase in the key rate to 17% is a desperate measure. But then the situation is looking increasingly desperate. | The 6.5 percentage point increase in the key rate to 17% is a desperate measure. But then the situation is looking increasingly desperate. |
| On Monday, the rouble suffered its sharpest fall in more than 15 years, losing about 10% of its value against the dollar. Moscow's RTS share index plummeted 10%. | On Monday, the rouble suffered its sharpest fall in more than 15 years, losing about 10% of its value against the dollar. Moscow's RTS share index plummeted 10%. |
| On the streets of Moscow yesterday, there was no sign of panic, there were no queues outside banks. But the Central Bank knows it needs to bolster the national currency to prevent panic from setting in. Hence the large rise in the key interest rate. | On the streets of Moscow yesterday, there was no sign of panic, there were no queues outside banks. But the Central Bank knows it needs to bolster the national currency to prevent panic from setting in. Hence the large rise in the key interest rate. |
| But there is a risk. High interest rates slow economic growth, and that's not good with Russia on the verge of recession. | But there is a risk. High interest rates slow economic growth, and that's not good with Russia on the verge of recession. |