Russia Cuts Key Rate With Eye on Iran War and Budget Risks

Russia’s central bank continued lowering borrowing costs to aid an economy that’s losing steam but warned of a possible pause in easing depending on budget decisions and the fallout from the war in the Middle East.

The Bank of Russia cut the benchmark rate to 14.5% on Friday, as expected by nine out of 10 economists surveyed by Bloomberg. It was the fifth straight 50-basis-point reduction. One analyst predicted a move of a full percentage point.