China’s Bold Mortgage Rate Cut Met With Lukewarm Reaction

  • Five-year loan prime rate lowered by 25 basis points to 3.95%
  • Move may allow more cities to reduce minimum mortgage rates
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China ramped up support for the troubled property sector with its biggest-ever cut to a key mortgage reference rate. But it was met with a muted response from investors, raising expectations that more aggressive measures to support the economy will be needed in the months to come.

Chinese lenders slashed their five-year loan prime rate by 25 basis points to 3.95%, the People’s Bank of China announced Tuesday. It was the first cut since June and the largest reduction since a revamp of the rate was rolled out in 2019.