New Zealand’s central bank is poised to raise interest rates by half a percentage point for a fifth straight time, and some economists are tipping it will need to keep tightening well into next year as an aggressive Federal Reserve weakens the kiwi dollar. The Reserve Bank will lift the Official Cash Rate to 3.5% from 3% Wednesday in Wellington, according to 20 of 22 economists surveyed by Bloomberg. Most expect another half-point increase at the final meeting of the year in November, and some now predict the cash rate will need to keep rising to 4.5% or higher in 2023. The RBNZ has been at the forefront of global ... (full story)