JGB yields jump as rate hike bets rise after BOJ chief comments

BY Reuters | ECONOMIC | 02:30 AM EST

TOKYO, Nov 21 (Reuters) - Japanese government bond yields jumped on Thursday as comments from the Bank of Japan chief raised bets of an early rate hike.

The five-year yield rose to 0.75%, its highest level since June 2009, and was last up 3.5 basis points (bps) at 0.745%.

The two-year JGB yield rose 2.5 bps to 0.575. The 10-year JGB yield rose 3 bps to 1.095%, its highest since July 25.

BOJ Governor Kazuo Ueda said there is still a month to go till the next policy meeting and there will be more information available by then.

The comments suggested a rate hike as early as next month and lifted yields, said Miki Den, a senior Japan rate strategist at SMBC Nikko Securities.

Overnight index swap (OIS) rates indicated a 55% chance of the BOJ raising rates to 0.5% in December as of 0716 GMT.

The yield also rose as the market was cautious ahead of a meeting of JGB primary dealers next week, where the ministry may hint at a possible increase in the sale of bonds with mid-term maturities, said Den.

The 20-year JGB yield rose 1.5 bps to 1.9%.

The 30-year JGB yield fell 0.5 bp to 2.28%. (Reporting by Junko Fujita; Editing by Savio D'Souza)

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.

fir_news_article