Bonds Dive to Send German Yield to 1% for First Time Since 2015
2022.05.03 12:46
Bonds Dive to Send German Yield to 1% for First Time Since 2015
(Bloomberg) — Germany’s bonds slumped to send its 10-year yield to 1% for the first time since 2015, as markets brace for a faster pace of tightening from the European Central Bank.
The benchmark yield rose four basis points to touch 1%, a level not seen since the bloc was in the middle of grappling with the Greek debt crisis. It’s a sharp turnaround from March when demand for havens after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine sent the rate into negative territory.
“The market looks in poor shape with few investors willing to take the other side given the entrenched bearish dynamics,” said Christoph Rieger, head of fixed-rate strategy at Commerzbank AG. “Inflation risks are not getting any smaller, while risk sentiment is recovering.”
Money markets are wagering on almost four 25 basis-point hikes from the ECB this year, ratcheting up bets as euro-area inflation continues to break records and a growing number of ECB officials acknowledge the possibility of greater policy tightening. Vice President Luis de Guindos said an ECB rate increase in July is possible but not “likely,” in an interview published Sunday.
U.K. bonds were also caught up in the rush to offload debt, with 10-year yields surging above 2% for the first time in more than a week as domestic markets reopened after being closed Monday for a holiday. Money markets are betting on a quarter-point Bank of England rate hike this Thursday and are rapidly raising wagers on a half-point increase at any of its next four meetings.
(Updates throughout.)
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