Australia central bank seen standing pat, but greater chance of cut - Reuters poll

SYDNEY (Reuters) - The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) is expected to keep its cash rate unchanged at a record low of 2.0 percent at a policy review on May 3, though a growing number of economists expect a cut, an updated Reuters poll released on Monday showed. Thirty-three out of 51 economists polled expect the RBA to keep its policy rate on hold this week, while 18 see a 25 basis point (bps) reduction following surprisingly low inflation figures for the first quarter. Last week's poll had 11 economists out of 50 forecasting a move. The majority of respondents predict a cut by September, compared to an expectation of December last week. The RBA last cut rates in May 2015. Economists were asked what the cash rate would be after the nextRBA meeting on May 3 and where rates would be at the end of the following five quarters. (Reporting by Cecile Lefort; Editing by Kim Coghill)