Accelerating inflation firms up 2014 rate hike expectations

Accelerating inflation firms up 2014 rate hike expectations
By Paul McBeth Oct. 16 (BusinessDesk) - Accelerating New Zealand inflation is firming expectations for an early rate hike next year, with consumer prices rising at the fastest quarterly pace and ended a year-long period where the annual pace was slower than the Reserve Bank’s target. Two-year swap rates rose as high as 3.59 percent, the highest level since August 2011, and were recently up 3.3 basis points to 3.57 percent. Government figures showed the consumers price index increased 0.9 percent in the three months ended Sept. 30, its faste...