Cautious sentiment leads to steady bond yields

13 Feb 2012 Evaluate

Bond yields were treading water on Monday as traders expecting a buyback of debt from RBI, preferred to be on the side lines. The central bank is expected to buy back debt through open market operations in order to support a scheduled bond auction in the week.  India is scheduled to raise Rs 12,000 crore by auctioning bonds in the week to February 17, as per the government's auction calendar. Traders expect that RBI might announce that it intends to buy 9.15%, 2024 bonds that were auctioned on Friday. The 2024 bonds have been the most traded so far in the secondary market on Monday.

The underlying sentiment was also that of caution ahead of inflation data for January, due Tuesday, which is likely to offer clues on the likely direction of policy interest rates. The headline inflation rate, based on wholesale prices, may have fallen to 6.60 percent year-on-year in January from 7.47 percent in December.

On the global front, US government debt prices jumped on Friday as fear that Greece might not avoid a messy default brought the safe-haven bid for US debt back into vogue. Meanwhile, Brent crude rose above $118 on Monday, supported by a weaker dollar and expectations of a revival in demand growth, after Greece approved an austerity bill to secure a second bailout.

The yields on 10-year benchmark 8.79% - 2021 bonds were steady at 8.19% from Friday's close when it fell 8 basis points.

The benchmark five-year interest rate swaps were at 7.33%, lower from Friday's close of 7.37%.

The Reserve Bank of India has announced the auction of 182-day and 91-day Government of India Treasury Bills for notified amount of Rs 4,000 crore and Rs 9000 crore respectively. The auction will be conducted on February 15, 2012 using 'Multiple Price Auction' method.

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