Australian bonds remain flat as investors await January employment report

The Australian bonds remained flat during morning trading hours Wednesday ahead of the country’s labour market report for the month of January, due to be released on February 20 by 00:30GMT.

The yield on Australia’s benchmark 10-year note, which moves inversely to its price, hovered around 1.044 percent, the yield on the long-term 30-year bond slipped 1 basis point to 1.638 percent and the yield on short-term 2-year too steadied at 0.749 percent by 04:10GMT.

Risk appetite appeared to struggle overnight, with S&P500 closing lower post-Apple’s earlier guidance warning, and UST bonds bull-flattened with yields generally 2-4bps lower and the 10-year yield at 1.55 percent, OCBC Treasury Research reported.

China reported 132 new deaths to bring the death toll to 2,000, albeit Hubei added 1,693 new cases (lowest since the methodology change last week), the report added.

"Asian markets may start on a firmer tone this morning, taking the cue from a more China-friendly sounding Trump, but the key is whether momentum can sustain", OCBC further noted in the report.

Meanwhile, the S&P/ASX 200 index traded tad 0.33 percent higher at 7,081.50 by 04:15GMT.