India cenbank's first bond sales in eight months signals unease with liquidity surplus
By Dharamraj Dhutia
MUMBAI, July 22 (Reuters) -The Indian central bank sold 34.05 billion rupees ($407 million) worth of bonds, on a net basis, over four days last week, its first bond sales in the open market in more than eight months, as the banking system's liquidity surplus jumped.
Liquidity has stayed elevated due to a pick-up in government spending since the general elections that ended in early June and due to the central bank's intervention in foreign exchange markets, traders said.
These sales are likely to push up shorter-term rates.
WHY IT MATTERS
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) typically sells or buys bonds to adjust liquidity and rates in the market if they are moving in a direction inconsistent with its monetary policy.
The bond sales signal the central bank is not comfortable with surplus liquidity at a time when inflation remains above its target of 4%.
The RBI has kept its repo rate unchanged for 17 months at 6.50%. Excessive liquidity can push down short-term rates below the policy rate, which the central bank may not be comfortable with.
BY THE NUMBERS
The RBI's bond sales come as surplus liquidity has risen to a more-than-three-month high of 1.4 trillion rupees due to government spending.
India has also seen $7.2 billion of equity inflows and $3.4 billion of debt inflows since the beginning of June, with the RBI choosing to buy dollars, thereby infusing rupee liquidity.
Due to the RBI's interventions, India's forex reserves have risen $15 billion in that period.
GRAPHIC
KEY QUOTES
"It was writing on the wall. In a year when demand-supply is so skewed, the RBI needs to provide bonds to satiate the market," said Sandeep Yadav, fixed income head at DSP Mutual Fund.
"The sale amount is not very large, but I shall be watching it for continuity. The RBI may not like the system to run a surplus of over one trillion rupees," said Alok Singh, group head of treasury at CSB Bank.
($1 = 83.6900 Indian rupees)
India bank liquidity surplus jumps in July https://reut.rs/3xUQk44
Reporting by Dharamraj Dhutia; Editing by Savio D'Souza
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