Australian bonds jump tracking U.S. Treasuries after President Trump faces accusation from congressional panel

The Australian government bonds jumped during Asian session of the last trading day of the week Friday tracking a similar movement in the U.S. Treasuries after President Donald Trump faced accusation from a congressional panel on charges of pressing a foreign government to investigate a potential rival at next year's presidential election.

The yield on Australia’s benchmark 10-year note, which moves inversely to its price, slumped 2 basis points to 0.950 percent, the yield on the long-term 30-year bond also suffered nearly 2 basis points to 1.557 percent and the yield on short-term 2-year slipped 1 basis point to trade at 0.740 percent by 04:00GMT.

Global risk sentiments were dented overnight by reports that the US is unlikely to extend the waiver allowing American firms to supply Huawei Technologies. This setback came after US President Trump’s earlier suggestion that a trade deal with China could come sooner than expected, OCBC Treasury Research reported.

That said, China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi had opined that China is willing to purchase more US goods. Therefore, the stakes are now raised for the upcoming early October trade talks to resolve or at least postpone the next tranche of US tariffs due on October 15, the report added.

Wall Street retreated overnight while UST bonds rallied with yields lower by 2-5bps across the curve and the 10-year yield falling back to 1.69 percent amid a solid $32b 7-year auction that was awarded at 1.63 percent, OCBC further noted in the report.

Meanwhile, the S&P/ASX 200 index remained flat at 6,692.50 by 04:10GMT.