Australian bonds jump as investors crowd safe-haven assets amid rise in Coronavirus death tolls

The Australian bonds jumped during Asian session of the first trading day of the week Monday as investors continued to crowd into safe-haven assets amid a continued increase in China’s death tolls emerging from Coronavirus.

Later this week Reserve Bank of Australia’s (RBA) Governor Philip Lowe is scheduled to deliver a speech, which shall impart further direction to the debt market.

The yield on Australia’s benchmark 10-year note, which moves inversely to its price, slumped nearly 3-1/2 basis points to 1.033 percent, the yield on the long-term 30-year bond also plunged 3-1/2 basis points to 1.623 percent and the yield on short-term 2-year lost nearly 2-1/2 basis points to trade at 0.734 percent by 03:40GMT.

At least $10 billion is what China is spending to combat the coronavirus, even as China’s death toll climbed to 908 and surpassed SAR, and WHO experts head to the epicentre. China will provide the first batch of special re-lending funds today aimed at helping affected businesses, OCBC Treasury Research reported.

"Asian markets may see a cautious start to the week this morning, awaiting China’s CPI/PPI data and as investors continue to assess the coronavirus’s impact on supply chains as Chinese workers return to work today," the report added.

Meanwhile, the S&P/ASX 200 index traded tad -0.20 percent lower at 6,950.50 by 03:45GMT.