SHANGHAI: China stood pat on its benchmark lending rate for corporate and household loans for the 10th straight month at its February fixing on Saturday, matching market expectations. The one-year loan prime rate (LPR) was kept at 3.85%, while the five-year LPR remained at 4.65%.

Thirty-one traders and analysts, or 88% of all 35 participants, in a Reuters poll this week predicted no change in either rate. Most new and outstanding loans in China are based on the LPR, while the five-year rate influences the pricing of mortgages.