BOND REPORT: Treasury Yields Climb Amid Brexit Deal Drama
October 21 2019 - 8:03AM
Dow Jones News
By Sunny Oh
Treasury yields ticked higher Monday as U.K. Prime Minister
Boris Johnson sought parliamentary support for his break from the
European Union, after a vote on his Brexit deal was delayed over
the weekend.
What are Treasurys doing?
The 10-year Treasury note yield was up 2.9 basis points to
1.776%, while the 2-year note rate rose 1.9 basis points to 1.592%.
The 30-year bond yield climbed 3.9 basis points to 2.281%.
Prices for U.S. government debt fall as yields rise.
What's driving Treasurys?
Bond markets recently have been moving in step with uncertainty
surrounding Britain's plans to exit from the European Union, with
Johnson renewing his efforts to get his Brexit deal ratified after
a Saturday setback.
On the weekend, Johnson's bill was postponed by lawmakers, and
then stymied by an amendment ensuring that any kind of agreement to
leave the EU would have to pass through the House of Commons, the
lower chamber of British Parliament. Johnson later asked EU
officials for a three-month extension, but analysts say he will be
looking to push for a deal before Oct. 31.
Mario Draghi will preside over his last meeting as the president
of the European Central Bank this week. This comes as signs of
friction
(http://www.marketwatch.com/story/draghi-will-leave-lagarde-a-warring-ecb-2019-10-10)
within its monetary policy-making committee have surfaced over the
risks around additional easing in an ultralow interest rate
environment.
Also in focus, auctions for $113 billion of Treasury debt will
be held this week. U.S. government debt auctions can influence the
price of outstanding bonds.
What did market participants' say?
"We think the uncertainty at present will prevent larger market
moves, particularly as it appears now even more likely that the
government can push the actual deal through the House of Commons.
In either case, a near-term 'no deal Brexit' seems very unlikely
indeed," wrote Peter Schaffrik, global macro analyst for RBC
Capital Markets.
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
October 21, 2019 07:48 ET (11:48 GMT)
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