Banxico expects cooling inflation to allow for more Mexico rate cuts

MEXICO CITY, Oct 10 (Reuters) - The Bank of Mexico's five-member governing board expects easing inflation could allow further reductions to its benchmark interest rate, minutes from the bank's September monetary policy decision showed on Thursday. Banxico, as the Mexican central bank is known, lowered its key lending rate by 25 basis points to settle at 10.50% following a four to five vote by its governing board announced on Sept. 26. Minutes showed most board members agreed that Mexico's inflation outlook has been improving, with all members noting core inflation in Latin America's No. 2 economy continued to trend downwards.

Most of the board, however, warned that inflationary pressures still pose a challenge. Twelve-month headline inflation in Mexico hit 4.58% in September, down from the August figure of 4.99%, fueling expectations Banxico may continue cutting the interest rate. Still, all board members underscored that services inflation continues to show persistence.

One board member noted "services inflation, which better reflects domestic pressures, keeps showing a resistance to decline and remains at high levels." The unnamed member added the persistence could continue given the resilience of private consumption.

Banxico forecasts headline inflation to converge to its 3% target, plus or minus a percentage point, in the fourth quarter of next year.

Deputy Governor Jonathan Heath, the lone dissenting voice at the last monetary policy meeting, had voted to hold the rate at 10.75%.

Heath argued, according to the minutes, that patience was needed "for the current monetary policy stance to have the desired effect on the persistence in services inflation."

"Initiating a cycle of monetary easing prematurely could send a signal of complacency and that we are content with the high levels of headline inflation," Heath said. (Reporting by David Alire Garcia and Anthony Esposito; Editing by Chris Reese)