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Showing posts with label Bond Yields. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bond Yields. Show all posts

September 13, 2010

Yields to take cues from Inflation and Policy meet

Highlights:

• The bonds remained jittery throughout the week; however, it settled down at low levels as compared to last week closures.

• The Industrial Output Data as measured by Index of Industrial Production (IIP) rose a more-than expected 13.8 per cent in July 2010, or nearly twice the 7.2 per cent seen in last month.

• Retail Inflation and Food Inflation rose over 15 per cent and 11 per cent, causing a concern for RBI which may hike the rates again.

• The market liquidity remained comfortable with the net absorption of Rs. 27,640 crore under LAF window. However, it would remain in deficit mode going forward.

• The market speculation that the current benchmark paper will be replaced have been put on hold after a Senior Finance Ministry official stated that there is adequate headroom in the current 10-year paper and the bond is expected to last for the entire borrowing in FY11.

View & Recommendations:

• The unexpected factory output at 13.8 per cent plus the high inflation figures may prompt the central bank RBI to revise the policy rates upwards. However, the market has already factored into the 25-bps hike in policy rates.

• Bond yields may soften further in view of global economic environment especially from US i.e. better than expected US Employment data.

• The absence of debt sale in the coming week will keep the demand for debt papers high. The real tone will be set after the mid-quarter policy review this week. Any positive surprise will be greeted with a rally in bond prices. The market is likely to focus on domestic data and policy measures. The policy meet will also review the awaited headline inflation figure due on Sept 14, 2010.

Broader Perspectives:
Bond Front
It is concerned that policy makers are running out of ammunition to control inflation and high factory output is also reigning in strongly; the RBI may go for an upward hike in policy rates. However, the mixed sentiments emanating from global markets are preventing RBI from taking any extreme measures. US President Barack Obama commented that US economy was taking longer than expected time to recover from economic shivers. However, the better-than-expected growth in US employment increased the odds of a fifth interest-rate hike this year.

Bond prices moved up with the 10-year benchmark yield witnessing a drop of 7 bps. The benchmark bond 7.80% 2020 yield nosedived from 7.98 per cent to 7.91 per cent. The comment by the Senior Finance Ministry over the continuance of the current 10-year benchmark bond for the remaining fiscal year 2010-11 boosted the sentiments among traders and investors which lapped the bond to make the prices attractive. He added that the government's preference was to borrow through papers of longer maturity, in order to evenly spread out its outstanding. However, the 8.13% G-Sec 2020 eased only 1 bps to 8.04 per cent. The G-Sec volume was also strong as reported in NDS-OM platform; it showed a daily average of Rs. 12,353 crore over the week. The 1-10 year spread also reported a sharp drop from 168 bps to 149 bps.

Bond Supply
The government auctioned securities worth Rs. 11,000 crore last week. The bonds auctioned were the 7.17% 2015 for Rs. 4,000 crore, the 8.13% 2022 for Rs. 4,000 crore and the 8.26% 2027 for Rs. 3,000 crore respectively. The cut-offs were in line with the market expectations which came in at 7.69 per cent, 8.02 per cent and 8.35 per cent. Five State Governments namely Maharashtra, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal conducted the auction of their State Development Loans for combined amount of Rs. 5,300 crore on Sept 07, 2010. Their cut-off yields were in the range of 8.29 per cent to 8.41 per cent.

Liquidity
The liquidity was comfortable throughout the week as measured by bids for Repo and Reverse Repo auctions in Liquidity Adjustment Facility (LAF). The net absorption amount was Rs. 27,640 crore for this week. This week, there won’t be any auction which will ease off the liquidity. However, the advance tax outflow to the tune of Rs. 50,000 will put the liquidity in deficit mode. The average Call and CBLO rates dropped to 4.65 per cent and 4.28 per cent from 4.77 per cent and 4.75 per cent respectively over the week.

Corporate Bonds
Corporate bonds’ yields fell over the week. The 10-year AAA bond ended at a yield of around 8.71 per cent compared to 8.75 per cent. However, the 1-year bond hardened by 15 bps to 7.95 per cent from 7.80 per cent a week earlier. In the primary market, EXIM Bank raised Rs. 100 crore with 5-year paper and another Rs. 100 crore with 10-year paper with an annualized yield of 8.45 per cent and 8.68 per cent.

April 13, 2010

Bond yields laddered to 8 per cent level on devolvement

Highlights
• Benchmark bond 6.35% 2020 yield touched to 8.01 per cent on account of devolvement* in first week auction
• Primary dealers had to devolve Rs. 448 Cr. of 6.35% 2020 paper
• Food inflation rose to 14.50 per cent for data on Mar 27, 2010 against 13.86 per cent observed a week before
• Limits for Ways and Mean Advance (WMA) set at Rs. 30,000 Cr. for first half of FY and Rs. 10,000 Cr. for second half of FY
• Inflationary pressures (data to be available next Thursday) and Industrial Output data to influence the policy review due on April 20, 2010; inflation likely to be in double digits
• Market to witness an auction of Rs. 13,000 Cr. on Government Securities and Rs. 5,800 crore of State Development Loans (SDL) this week

*Devolvement - is a mechanism used by Reserve Bank of India as part of its monetary policy to counter the volatility in the price of Government Securities. Under this mechanism Primary dealers would have to absorb the underwritten amount, when the bid prices are unacceptable to the RBI.

Views & Recommendation:

• The weekly bond issuances are likely to impact the bond prices in a greater way; any further devolvement will put pressure on bond yields.
• Liquid Funds and Ultra Short Term Funds (erstwhile called as Ultra Short Term Funds) would see its yields rising from the current yield as shorter end of yield curve is likely to move up in near future once the policy rates go up.
• Investors having longer investment horizon (more than 2 years) should wait for yields to reach to 8.25-8.5 per cent level and can then invest in Income Funds.

Broad Perspective:

The week started with a cooling in bond yields; the 10-year benchmark 6.35% 2020 G-Sec slipped to 7.80 per cent on Monday, down by 5 bps over its last week closing. However, the sentiments went against the market and the yields rose to its three week highs ahead of first week auction of Rs. 12,000 crore and monetary policy tightening to contain high inflation.
The auction results disappointed the market and the benchmark yield passed 8 per cent mark to close at 8.01 per cent on account of devolvement. It touched to 8.03 per cent level, its highest in more than 17 months and a level it touched on Mar 22, 2010. The auctioned bonds got timid response and primary dealers had to devolve Rs. 448 crore of 6.35% 2020 paper. RBI set the cut-off yield of 7.9645 per cent for the 6.35% 2020 bonds. The other bonds were fully subscribed amidst high demand. Both received demands for more than two times. Due to devolvement, primary dealers demanded high cut-off yields. This week, the choice of securities will decide the momentum of bond yields and primary dealers will demand higher underwriting fees and higher yields in fear of devolvement of securities. Moreover, the subdued response on 6.35% 2020 bond is putting pressure on its existence as the benchmark yield and traders have been demanding for a new benchmark so that they could concentrate on the movement on interest rates instead of choice of a benchmark bond.
Inflationary pressures continue to remain intact; food prices accelerated for second straight week. The inflation based on primary articles rose to 14.50 per cent for the week concluding on Mar 27, 2010 against 13.86 per cent observed a week before. Industrial output data for February due on Monday and March inflation data on next Thursday are the factors which will decide the direction of RBI Policy review due on April 20, 2010.
Liquidity as measured by bids for reverse repo/repo at the Liquidity Adjustment Facility auction went to an average level of Rs. 1 lakh crore against Rs. 2,000 crore reported last week. Overnight rates also remained at the level of reverse repo rates due to high liquidity in the system.
However, Corporate Bonds yields saw an increased activity in the trading circles. Its spread over its counterpart G-Sec slipped in all categories. The 5-year and 10-year corporate bond spread over its counterpart G-Sec slipped to 76 bps and 63 bps from 81 bps and 82 bps respectively. The 10-year Corporate Bond closed at 8.80 per cent for the week concluding on April 09, 2010.
RBI set the limit for Ways and Mean Advance (WMA) at Rs. 30,000 crore for first half of fiscal year (April to September) and Rs. 10,000 crore for second half of fiscal year (October to March). WMA is a window through which the government borrows from RBI to meet mismatches between payment and receipts. Any borrowing within the WMA limit is done at Repo rate and over the WMA limit, it is done at Repo plus 2 per cent.