German 10-year yields hit fresh one-month high after Fed minutes, before data

BY Reuters | ECONOMIC | 10/10/24 02:44 AM EDT

By Stefano Rebaudo

Oct 10 (Reuters) - German 10-year yields hit a fresh one-month high on Thursday, tracking moves in U.S. Treasuries after the Federal Reserve minutes and ahead of U.S. inflation data later in the session.

U.S. yields rose on Wednesday, as investors continued to price in a less aggressive policy loosening path from the Fed.

Fed minutes showed that a "substantial majority" supported a 50 bps rate cut in September, without committing the Fed to a particular pace of cuts in the future.

Some analysts argued that benign inflation figures could bolster expectations for Fed rate cuts in November and December.

Money markets currently price in 46 bps of rate cuts by year-end.

Germany's 10-year bond yield, the benchmark for the euro zone bloc, was up 2 bps to 2.279%, its highest level since Sept. 4.

Markets are pricing in an around 90% chance of a 25 bps rate cut by the European Central Bank in October .

Germany's two-year bond yield, which is more sensitive to ECB rate expectations, was up one bp at 2.278%, its highest level since mid-September.

The gap between French and German 10-year yields - a gauge of the risk premium investors demand to hold France's government bonds - was last at 79 bps, with Prime Minister Barnier set to present the budget bill for 2025 later in the session.

Italy's 10-year government bond yield rose 1.5 bps to 3.58%, with the gap between Italian and German yields at 130 bps. (Reporting by Stefano Rebaudo; Editing by Toby Chopra)

In general the bond market is volatile, and fixed income securities carry interest rate risk. (As interest rates rise, bond prices usually fall, and vice versa. This effect is usually more pronounced for longer-term securities.) Fixed income securities also carry inflation risk and credit and default risks for both issuers and counterparties. Unlike individual bonds, most bond funds do not have a maturity date, so avoiding losses caused by price volatility by holding them until maturity is not possible.

Lower-quality debt securities generally offer higher yields, but also involve greater risk of default or price changes due to potential changes in the credit quality of the issuer. Any fixed income security sold or redeemed prior to maturity may be subject to loss.

Before investing, consider the funds' investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses. Contact Fidelity for a prospectus or, if available, a summary prospectus containing this information. Read it carefully.

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