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宏观|MLF淡化政策利率色彩,或可降低资金成本
中信证券研究·2025-03-25 00:14

Core Viewpoint - The People's Bank of China (PBOC) has announced a shift in the Medium-term Lending Facility (MLF) from a single rate bidding to a multiple price bidding system, indicating a move to downplay the significance of the MLF policy rate and emphasize the reverse repo rate as the primary policy rate [1][3]. Group 1: MLF Reform - The MLF will now adopt a fixed quantity, interest rate bidding, and multiple price bidding approach starting from March 2025, with an operation of 4,500 billion yuan for a one-year term [2]. - This reform is seen as a continuation of the PBOC's strategy to reduce the prominence of the MLF policy rate, aligning it more closely with the reverse repo rate [3][4]. - The historical context shows that the PBOC has been gradually shifting towards using the reverse repo rate as the main policy rate since mid-2024 [3]. Group 2: Impact on Bank Funding Costs - The change to multiple price bidding may lead to a decrease in the MLF rate, thereby lowering banks' funding costs [4]. - Currently, the one-year AAA interbank certificate of deposit rate is approximately 1.92%, which is lower than the MLF rate of 2.0% as of February 2025, suggesting potential for further reductions in MLF rates [4]. Group 3: Monetary Policy Tools - The PBOC has enhanced its liquidity provision tools, including MLF, reverse repos, and government bond transactions, to cover various timeframes [5]. - MLF and reverse repos are both fixed quantity, interest rate bidding, and multiple price bidding operations, with MLF having a one-year term and reverse repos having three and six-month terms [5]. Group 4: Economic Outlook - If economic momentum weakens due to factors like tariffs in the second quarter, the PBOC may consider lowering reserve requirements and interest rates to support economic growth [7]. - The PBOC's first-quarter monetary policy meeting indicated a readiness to adjust reserve requirements and interest rates based on domestic and international economic conditions [7].