JGBS: Cash Bond Bear-Steepener

Apr-14 00:06

JGB futures are stronger, +3 compared to settlement levels, but weaker than Friday's post-Tokyo trade closing level. 

  • US 10-year futures (TYM5) are dealing at 109-29, +0-06 from closing levels in today's Asia-Pac session.
  • The big news over the weekend was President Trump's exemptions on smartphones, computers, and other electronics, though this has been downplayed over the weekend as a procedural step. They will be looking at the whole electronic supply chain.
  • On Friday, 10-year yields ranged from 4.5270% to 4.5860%, closing around 4.49%. The 10-year yield rose almost 50bps in 5 days, one of the biggest moves over that number of days since 1998. Several catalysts are being pointed at: hedge funds, basis - traders being squeezed out, and sovereign selling of treasuries as a negotiation tool. These have all added to the pressure.
  • There had been some speculation that the BoJ had been a seller of treasuries adding to the messy price action. The LDP policy chief has come out saying its US treasury holdings will not be used as leverage in tariff talks scheduled for April 17.
  • Cash JGBs are showing a bear-steepener in early Tokyo trade.
  • Today, the local calendar will see Industrial Production and Capacity Utilization data.
  • BoJ Governor Ueda is due in parliament at 1109 JT.

Historical bullets

FED: March Economic Projections: Higher Inflation, Weaker Growth, Same Rates

Mar-14 21:28

The MNI Markets Team’s expectations for the updated Economic Projections in the March SEP are below. 

  • The unemployment rate is likely to rise slightly for 2025 alongside a downgrade in GDP growth, while the 2025 core and headline PCE inflation projections are set to rise again. Changes to later years will likely be limited, however.
  • More detail on the shift in Fed funds rate medians is in our meeting preview - we will add more color next week.



 

FED: Market Pricing Nearly 3 2025 Cuts As Conditions Tighten

Mar-14 21:25

Amid rising government policy uncertainty, sentiment among businesses and consumers has fallen sharply since the start of the year, while equities and the dollar have reversed their post-election rise. Overall, financial conditions have tightened, even if stress is not yet mounting, e.g. no major widening of credit spreads (the accompanying chart shows the Fed’s financial conditions impulse index but only through January).

  • Combined with growth fears, this has affected expectations for the Fed’s rate path, with around 18bp more cuts expected in 2025 compared with what was seen after the January FOMC. 65bp of cuts are priced for the year as a whole. 2025 cut pricing reached 71bp before the February inflation data and 76bp before the February payrolls report.
  • A rate cut is seen with near zero probability for March’s meeting, but the first full cut is just about priced for June, with a second nearly priced by September.
  • Chair Powell has no reason to endorse or refute these expectations – he’s likely to be happy with a press conference that ends with little discernable change in pricing.

 

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CANADA'S CARNEY ANNOUNCES ELIMINATION OF THE CONSUMER CARBON TAX

Mar-14 21:17
  • CANADA'S CARNEY ANNOUNCES ELIMINATION OF THE CONSUMER CARBON TAX