Euro zone bond yields edge up before US inflation data
Updates at 1015 GMT
By Harry Robertson
LONDON, Aug 14 (Reuters) -Euro zone bond yields edged higher Wednesday as investors waited for a U.S. consumer inflation report that will help guide Federal Reserve policy and could influence other central banks.
Germany's 10-year bond yield DE10YT=RR, the benchmark for the euro zone bloc, was up 2 basis points (bps) 2.206%. Yields move inversely to prices.
The benchmark German yield has fallen sharply from a roughly six-month high of 2.707% in May as euro zone and U.S. inflation has cooled, reassuring investors that further European Central Bank rate cuts are coming this year.
Data at 1230 GMT on Wednesday is expected to show U.S. inflation, as measured by the consumer price index (CPI), held steady at 3% year-on-year in July. The month-on-month core reading, closely watched by markets, is expected to rise to 0.2% from 0.1% in June.
The size and importance of the U.S. economy and dollar means American data often moves bond yields and interest rate expectations around the world.
"A consensus 0.2% month-on-month U.S. core CPI today would support a Federal Reserve rate cut in September and help restore market sentiment further," said Benjamin Schroeder, senior rates strategist at lender ING.
French inflation for July was revised slightly higher to 2.7% year-on-year on Wednesday, putting a touch of upward pressure on bond yields.
Italy's 10-year yield IT10YT=RR was up 1 bp at 3.584%, and the gap between Italian and German bond yields DE10IT10=RR narrowed 1 bp to 137 bps.
Germany's two-year bond yield DE2YT=RR, which is more sensitive to ECB rate expectations, rose 2 bps to 2.36%.
Bond yields have bounced around over the last week and a half as fears about a slowdown in the U.S. labour market, and the unwinding of some of this year's biggest equity and currency trades, have injected volatility into financial markets.
Investors have however been reassured by cooler inflation data, with bond yields falling and stocks rising on Tuesday after U.S. producer price figures came in softer than expected.
Traders on Wednesday were expecting around 70 bps of further interest rate cuts from the ECB this year, after a 25 bp reduction to 3.75% in June, little changed from Monday and Tuesday.
Reporting by Harry Robertson; Editing by Andrew Heavens and David Holmes
Latest News
Disclaimer: The XM Group entities provide execution-only service and access to our Online Trading Facility, permitting a person to view and/or use the content available on or via the website, is not intended to change or expand on this, nor does it change or expand on this. Such access and use are always subject to: (i) Terms and Conditions; (ii) Risk Warnings; and (iii) Full Disclaimer. Such content is therefore provided as no more than general information. Particularly, please be aware that the contents of our Online Trading Facility are neither a solicitation, nor an offer to enter any transactions on the financial markets. Trading on any financial market involves a significant level of risk to your capital.
All material published on our Online Trading Facility is intended for educational/informational purposes only, and does not contain – nor should it be considered as containing – financial, investment tax or trading advice and recommendations; or a record of our trading prices; or an offer of, or solicitation for, a transaction in any financial instruments; or unsolicited financial promotions to you.
Any third-party content, as well as content prepared by XM, such as: opinions, news, research, analyses, prices and other information or links to third-party sites contained on this website are provided on an “as-is” basis, as general market commentary, and do not constitute investment advice. To the extent that any content is construed as investment research, you must note and accept that the content was not intended to and has not been prepared in accordance with legal requirements designed to promote the independence of investment research and as such, it would be considered as marketing communication under the relevant laws and regulations. Please ensure that you have read and understood our Notification on Non-Independent Investment. Research and Risk Warning concerning the foregoing information, which can be accessed here.
