Experts spoke about the economic effect of maintaining the key rate of the Central Bank of the Russian Federation

The Central Bank of the Russian Federation has kept the interest rate at 21%. The Bank of Russia plans to follow a cautious strategy and avoid drastic actions while business expectations about price increases remain high, Ruslan Pichugin, an independent expert in the field of private investment, told Izvestia on April 25.

"It is possible to expect a relaxation of regulatory conditions no earlier than the second half of 2025. According to optimistic estimates, the key rate may drop to the range of 18-19% by the end of this year, but such a scenario is possible only under favorable circumstances," he explained.

According to him, the regulator's priority now is to maintain stability, even at the cost of temporarily limiting economic growth.

"The ruble has been feeling stable in recent months. In addition, credit institutions continue to reduce mortgage rates, as well as on deposits. Interest in the latter continues to decline and is increasing towards investments in real estate," said Viktor Timofeev, commercial director of the developer Radiance.

He noted that the premium housing segment is the most resilient to the crisis, as it has its own buyer. According to the expert, the growth in demand for such facilities will continue, which is already happening against the background of lower interest rates on deposits.

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The average yield decreased to 19% — what does this mean for the April decision on the key

Earlier in the day, it was reported that the Central Bank kept the key rate at 21% per annum. In addition, the growth of domestic demand continues to significantly exceed the possibilities of increasing the supply of goods and services. At the same time, according to the regulator, the economy is slowly starting to return to the path of balanced growth.