Mumbai: Home loans and consumer goods loans are likely to remain high as the Reserve Bank kept its key policy rates unchanged during its monetary policy review today. While some bankers felt that this stance was expected, hopes of a few for a marginal cut in both the policy rates and cash reserve ratio (CRR) have been belied.

"As expected, the RBI has maintained the status quo as far as rates and CRR are concerned. The RBI's stance overall is on price stability and liquidity management," Indian Banks Association's Chief Executive H N Sinor told reporters here.

As in the past, the apex bank has given weightage to domestic factors. "By maintaining status quo, the RBI has signalled that there is still a serious inflationary risk due to high global oil prices as well inflated food and metal prices," Bank of Baroda's Chief Economist Rupa Rege Nitsure said.

While a softening of interest rates does not appear likely in the short-term, "the RBI has signalled a steady rate regime with a slightly downward bias," IDBI Capital's Managing Director and CEO Sushil Muhnot said. According to him, any reduction in rates could likely happen around end-April or beginning-May.

"A lot of high-cost deposit schemes of banks will mature by March after which pressure on cost of funds for them will reduce. There could be a softening of rates around April-May," Nitsure said.

Source : PTI