Romania Holds Rates to Cap Volatile Year in Politics and Markets

Romania’s central bank held interest rates unchanged at the last policy meeting of a year in which the Black Sea nation endured a deep political crisis and market turmoil.

The National Bank of Romania held the benchmark rate at 6.5% on Wednesday, matching the estimates of all economists in a Bloomberg survey. Central bankers have kept the highest official borrowing costs in the European Union — along with Hungary’s — for 10 meetings as an anchor during a bond selloff, currency drop and an inflation spike.