Australian bonds flat in muted trading session ahead of Q3 CPI

The Australian government bonds remained flat during Asian session of the second trading day of the week Tuesday amid a muted trading session that witnessed data of little economic significance.

However, the country’s consumer price inflation (CPI) for the third quarter of this year, due for release on October 30 by 00:30GMT shall impart further direction to the debt market.

The yield on Australia’s benchmark 10-year note, which moves inversely to its price, remained steady at 1.175 percent, the yield on the long-term 30-year bond hovered around 1.753 percent and the yield on short-term 2-year too traded flat at 0.829 percent by 05:05GMT.

US-China trade optimism is likely to carry the day today amid strong hints from US president Trump that the US is ahead of schedule to sign Phase 1 of the trade deal and the US Trade Representative is considering up to a 12-month extension for certain exclusions on $34 billion of Chinese imports that were due to expire December 28, OCBC Treasury Research reported.

The S&P500 hit a record, led by Apple, Microsoft and Alphabet, while UST bonds bear-steepened with yields generally 3-6bps higher and the 10-year yield touching a high of 1.86 percent (highest since September 16) before closing at 1.84 percent (+5bps), the report added.

Meanwhile, the S&P/ASX 200 index traded tad 0.32 percent down at 6,719.50 by 05:35GMT.