SNB move will accentuate bond-equity divergence

2015 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Euro Area ◽  
Yield Curve ◽  
Equity Markets ◽  
Bond Markets ◽  
Quantitative Easing ◽  
Bond Yields ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Sovereign Bond ◽  
Advanced Economies ◽  
The Us

Significance The move mainly aims to pre-empt the widely anticipated launch of a sovereign quantitative easing (QE) programme by the ECB on January 22. However, it will accentuate divergences between bond and equity markets. Sovereign bond yields for most advanced economies are falling to new lows and are increasingly negative at the shorter end of the yield curve, because of deflation fears and lacklustre growth outlooks. Yet equity markets are hovering near record highs, buoyed by the US recovery and expectations of further monetary stimulus in the euro-area. Impacts Bond markets will be driven by deflation fears, while equity markets, especially US stocks, will be buoyed by Goldilocks-type conditions. Market expectations that the ECB will launch a sovereign QE programme will make bond yields fall further. Bond yields will be suppressed by investor scepticism about the ECB's ability to reflate the euro-area economy.

Even gradual quantitative tightening raises GDP risks

2019 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Euro Area ◽  
Commercial Banks ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Sales Tax ◽  
Quantitative Easing ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Balance Sheets ◽  
Liquidity Provision ◽  
The Us ◽  
Repurchase Agreements

Subject Quantitative easing and GDP. Significance The US Federal Reserve (Fed), Bank of Japan (BoJ) and ECB have all conducted quantitative easing (QE) programmes since 2008, purchasing assets from commercial banks on a large scale and without predefined repurchase agreements. These purchases have swollen the balance sheets of the three largest central banks and provided commercial banks with large liquidity buffers. Impacts The pace of the Fed withdrawing liquidity may slow; if US-China conflict worsens or another shock occurs, the Fed may consider reversing. In the euro-area, there are no new liquidity provisions, at a time when German GDP is weakening and Brexit threatens EU growth. New liquidity-provision plans may be hard for the euro-area to agree; if this is off the table, so are liquidity-withdrawing measures. The BoJ may stop scaling back its bond and ETF holdings if markets suffer; the upcoming sales tax rise will also hit spending.

Markets may misjudge risk of Greek exit from euro-area

2015 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Euro Area ◽  
Ownership Structure ◽  
Public Debt ◽  
Focal Point ◽  
Quantitative Easing ◽  
Southern Europe ◽  
Bond Yields ◽  
German Government ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Private Investors

Significance While the scope for widespread contagion across Southern Europe is much more limited this time around because of the new ownership structure of Greece's public debt -- more than 80% of the stock is held by the official sector, in stark contrast to end-2011 when private investors held the bulk of Greek bonds -- a loss of confidence in the ECB's ability to implement a credible and effective programme of quantitative easing (QE) could increase investors' sensitivity to Greece's political woes. Impacts Despite Greece's re-emergence as a focal point for market anxiety, the bond yields of Portugal, Spain and Italy remain at near-record lows. This is partly due to market expectations of full-blown QE by the ECB. Yet Draghi must come up with a QE programme that is both credible and has the backing of a German government wary of further credit risk.

Negative euro-area bond yield universe will expand

2015 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Euro Area ◽  
Sovereign Debt ◽  
Bond Yields ◽  
Government Bonds ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Bond Yield ◽  
The Us ◽  
Debt Issuance ◽  
Low Levels ◽  
Lift Off

Subject The euro-area government bonds outlook in the wake of the ECB's QE. Significance Strong demand among investors is pushing down yields on both government and corporate debt to unprecedentedly low levels, creating a rapidly expanding universe of negative bond yields. According to Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS), approximately one-third of euro-area government bonds now trade with a negative yield, including more than 50% of German, French, Dutch and Austrian public debt. Of the ECB's 60 billion euros (65 billion dollars) of monthly bond purchases, about 40 billion euros are estimated to involve government bonds, exceeding net government debt issuance across the euro-area. Therefore, yields are likely to fall further in the short term. Impacts Strong demand for 'safe haven' assets is compressing yields on government and corporate bonds, with negative rates on many securities. About one-third of euro-area sovereign debt is currently trading with a negative yield. The ECB's bond purchases and a relative scarcity in debt issuance will contribute to lower euro-area bond yields further. Persistent fears about growth and inflation will also contribute to lower yields. Negative yields will exacerbate the mispricing of risk, as investors bring forward their expectations regarding the US rates lift-off.

Mixed bond market moves raise policy-tightening risks

2018 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Federal Reserve ◽  
Yield Curve ◽  
Emerging Market ◽  
Bond Market ◽  
Bond Markets ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Industrial Firms ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Us ◽  
Equity Funds

Significance Its two-year equivalent, which is more sensitive to US monetary policy, has risen faster, as expectations have increased that the US Federal Reserve (Fed) will raise rates at least twice more this year. The gap between ten- and two-year yields is the narrowest since 2007, suggesting that bond markets expect aggressive short-term policy tightening to dampen growth and inflation in the longer term. Impacts The VIX Index, which anticipates S&P 500 equity volatility, is settling near its three-year average of 15, having touched 50 in February. The dollar has risen by nearly 2% since April 16 despite bearish bets continuing -- suggesting that its slump may have run its course. The ‘search for yield’ will draw investors to emerging market bond and equity funds; 2018 inflows so far are nearing 73 billion dollars. The US yield curve is close to inversion, traditionally signposting recession, but the backdrop of ultra-low rates obscures the outlook. US industrial firms including Caterpillar report solid first-quarter earnings but warn of already teaching a peak, worrying investors.

Adoption of yield-curve control could aid US recovery

2020 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Interest Rates ◽  
Yield Curve ◽  
Balance Sheet ◽  
Quantitative Easing ◽  
Government Bonds ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Forward Guidance ◽  
Reserve Bank ◽  
The Us

Subject Yield-curve control. Significance The US Federal Reserve (Fed) is contemplating yield-curve control (YCC), a policy pursued by the Bank of Japan (BoJ) and Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) alongside quantitative easing (QE) and forward guidance. A central bank does this by capping the yields on government bonds of a chosen maturity through unlimited bond purchases. This supports the economy by reducing borrowing costs for financial institutions, households and businesses. Impacts By providing transparency over a central bank’s actions, YCC would be likely to reduce the volatility of long-term interest rates. YCC adds to the Fed balance sheet; the Fed will need a credible exit strategy to cut market volatility and the risk of Fed capital losses. A sharp uptick in inflation may put upward pressure on long-term yields, necessitating higher Fed purchases to maintain its targeted peg.

Attention will turn to policy scope to fight recession

2019 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Federal Reserve ◽  
Equity Markets ◽  
Central Banks ◽  
Equity Market ◽  
Bond Markets ◽  
Content Type ◽  
China Trade ◽  
The Us ◽  
Equity Funds ◽  
Global Equity Markets

Significance The dovish U-turns by the US Federal Reserve (Fed) and the ECB, which were withdrawing monetary stimulus as recently as end-2018, are accentuating concerns that the leading central banks lack the firepower to fight the next recession. Creating confusion, global equity markets are surging but bond markets are growing more pessimistic. Impacts The Chinese equity market is surging as investors anticipate some form of US-China trade deal, but any boost is likely to be temporary. US equities have rebounded this year, but the outflows from US equity funds that began in October will continue and may rise amid anxiety. Chinese growth was slowing even before the tariffs and worries are rising that this, more than trade, will increasingly hit world growth.

Geopolitical uncertainty and sovereign bond yields of BRICS economies

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sowmya Subramaniam
Keyword(s):  
Yield Curve ◽  
Central Banks ◽  
Bond Yields ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Sovereign Bond ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Low Rate

Purpose The politically unstable economies have high and volatile sovereign spread. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of geopolitical uncertainty on sovereign bond yields. Design/methodology/approach The sovereign yields at various maturities were decomposed into three factors, namely, level, slope and curvature, using the Dynamic Nelson Siegel model. The relationship between geopolitical uncertainty and the yield curve factors was examined using a quantile causality test. Findings The study found that at the extreme high-rate regime, geopolitical uncertainty causes the yield curve factors positively, indicating bond investors demand a higher return for geopolitical uncertainty. On the other hand, during extreme low-rate regime geopolitical causes the short- and medium-term factors negatively. The extreme low-rate regime indicates the period of economic slowdown. During this regime, the central banks try to reduce the short-term rates to stimulate growth. Originality/value This is one of the few papers that investigates the relationship between the geopolitical risk and sovereign bond yields at the various maturities and interest rate regimes. Understanding the relationship between the geopolitical risk and short-term rates would help the central banks the efficacy of their policy actions. The long-term rates are influenced by the global investor preferences; examining the relationship with the long-term rates would help the investors frame the trading strategies.

Investors rotate into Europe ahead of French run-off

2017 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Euro Area ◽  
Presidential Election ◽  
The United States ◽  
Bond Markets ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Run Off ◽  
The Us ◽  
Us Presidential Election ◽  
Regulatory Scrutiny ◽  
European Stock Markets

Significance Optimism that the centrist candidate and frontrunner, Emmanuel Macron, will win the French presidential election run-off on May 7 is contributing to inflows into European stock markets at a time when sentiment towards US equities is cooling. The euro has risen against the dollar to its highest level since the US presidential election. Investors are focusing on euro-area activity -- first-quarter euro-area GDP outgrew the United States, while manufacturing and services purchasing managers' surveys are at a six-year high. Impacts Bond markets remain sceptical about faster US growth and inflation -- the ten-year US Treasury yield has fallen since mid-March. Oil prices have fallen by nearly 10% since April 11, owing to concerns about the credibility of OPEC's cuts and a persistent supply glut. Sentiment towards China is starting to worsen because of credit-tightening measures and more regulatory scrutiny of financial instruments. The only way Le Pen could become president would be if turnout among Macron's supporters was sharply lower than among her voters.

The international strength of the euro will grow

2021 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Euro Area ◽  
Financial Services ◽  
Raw Materials ◽  
Domestic Demand ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Us ◽  
Us Dollar ◽  
Strategic Autonomy ◽  
Geopolitical Risks ◽  
The Eu

Significance The proposals identified areas where the euro could potentially become more dominant, such as the issuance of green bonds, digital currencies, and international trade in raw materials and energy. Ambitions to enhance the international leverage of the euro are being driven by the aim to strengthen EU strategic autonomy amid rising geopolitical risks. Impacts Developing its digital finance sector would be an opportunity for the EU to enhance its strategic autonomy in financial services. Challenging the US dollar would require the euro-area to rebalance its economy away from foreign to domestic demand. Member state division will prevent the economic reconfiguration the euro-area needed to make the euro a truly global currency.

Markets are overreacting to US price and rates risks

2021 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Federal Reserve ◽  
Futures Markets ◽  
The United States ◽  
Oil Price ◽  
Bond Markets ◽  
Crude Oil Price ◽  
Bond Yields ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Bond Yield ◽  
Ongoing Support

Significance The continuation of the modest manufacturing downturn follows the recent report of slower third-quarter GDP growth. Despite slower growth, bond markets are challenging an attempt by the Federal Reserve (Fed) to delink tapering from tightening by bringing forward their forecasts for rate increases: futures markets are pricing in two 25-basis-point rate hikes by end-2022. Impacts Equities are at a record high in the United States; providing ongoing support for this, real US bond yields remain in negative territory. The Brent crude oil price is near its highest since 2014; further upside will be limited but it is likely to stay high well into 2022. Germany’s ten-year bond yield, negative since April 2019, has risen by 40 basis points since end-August and will soon turn positive.

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