Australian interest rate kept on hold

The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) has left official interest rates on hold at 5.50 per cent for the ninth month in a row.

The move follows the decision to leave rates unchanged in November.

In March, the RBA lifted the cash rate by a quarter of a per cent to 5.50 per cent, which was the first move since December 2003.

Most economists had forecast interest rates to remain unchanged today.

- AAP