By Tuba Ongun
The People’s Bank of China (PBoC) on Wednesday decided to leave its benchmark lending rates unchanged, meeting market forecasts.
The one-year loan prime rate (LPR) – the medium-term lending facility uses for corporate and household loans – was left at a record low of 3.45% after a 10 basis point cut in August.
The five-year LPR, the peg for mortgages, meanwhile, remained at 4.2% for the third consecutive month.
Last week, the bank kept its medium term facility loan rate steady at 2.50%.
Despite China's economy showing signs of improvement last month, the overall economic outlook remains uncertain due to weak overseas demand and a property downturn.
China's gross domestic product (GDP) grew 0.8% on a quarterly basis in the second quarter of 2023, easing from a 2.2% growth in the previous period.