REUTERS/Tingshu Wang/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSHANGHAI/SINGAPORE, Aug 25 (Reuters) - China's banks will cut deposit rates soon as part of efforts to make mortgages more affordable and revive property demand, analysts reading China's cryptic policy messages reckon.
But China did not opt for a broad rate cut that would further depress banks' narrow net interest margins, instead deferring to banks to cut their deposit rates and give themselves room to cheapen mortgages, analysts said.
Lowering deposit rates will give banks much needed wiggle room to cut mortgage rates.
"Further reductions to the deposit rates are 'arrows on the string,'" said Wang Yifeng, banking analyst at Everbright Securities.
He also expects a tweak to rules so that existing mortgage rates can be reset lower.
Persons:
Tingshu Wang, Wang Yifeng, Zhu Qibing, LPR, Zhu, Lu Ting, Lu, Xing Zhaopeng, Xing, Winni Zhou, Tom Westbrook, Samuel Shen, Vidya Ranganathan, Jacqueline Wong
Organizations:
China Securities Regulatory Commission, REUTERS, Rights, Bankers, Everbright Securities, People's Bank of China, BOC International China, Nomura, ANZ, Thomson
Locations:
China, Beijing, Rights SHANGHAI, SINGAPORE, Shanghai, Singapore