Rates Reach New Highs: Implications for Markets and Central Banks
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Rates Spark: Kicking off with new highs
The week has started with new yield highs for the cycle, with 10Y USTs having topped 4.34%. The bearish set-up with a waning Fed cut discount prevails, and with the 20Y Treasury sale and the Jackson Hole symposium looming large later this week, the appetite to take the other side is small.
The bearish set-up for rates persist
The week has kicked off with rates selling off again. The 10Y UST yield has in fact hit a new cycle high of 4.35%, surpassing the previous peak seen last October. One now has to look back to November 2007 to find yields at similar levels.
It is not clear where the impulse came from this time around. There were no data releases of note, although risk assets had stabilised somewhat. There is of course the anticipation of the Jackson Hole symposium, which may be the reason for market participants' reluctance to take the opposite side of the trade. The general consensus appears to be for a slightly hawkish leaning tone from the Fed Chair, not necessarily with regards to where the terminal rate should be, but with a pushback against the discount of rate cuts further out.
We have cautioned for some time now that the waning discount of Fed cuts with the Fed funds strip pricing a trough not materially below 4% would even support 10Y UST yields at 4.5% accounting for a term premium.
Looking to Europe, we note that Bunds also sold off, but the 10Y Bund yield has not managed to rise beyond last week’s highs, holding around 2.7%. The expectations of weaker flash PMIs tomorrow may provide some tailwind to Bunds. However, we did see the 30Y push to new cycle highs at 2.8%.
With the macro outlook bleak, the eurozone narrative for higher rates is still more centred around inflation risks. Energy, and in particular gas prices, remain volatile. And more generally the German Bundesbank yesterday warned in its monthly bulletin that inflation could stay above target for longer. The Bundesbank presented a survey that showed the European Central Bank’s 2% target has gradually lost relevance in wage negotiations, and highlighted the risk of higher inflation expectations becoming entrenched.
