JGBs end higher tracking global peers, buoyed by BoJ’s daily bond-buying operation

The Japanese government bonds gained at close on Tuesday, tracking a similar movement in the global peers, helped further by the Bank of Japan’s (BoJ) daily bond-buying operations, held earlier today.

At close, the yield on the benchmark 10-year JGB note, which moves inversely to its price, slipped 1-1/2 basis points to -0.135 percent, the yield on the long-term 30-year edged tad lower to 0.380 percent and the yield on short-term 2-year slumped 5 basis points to -0.185 percent.

Wall Street eked out modest gains overnight to close at fresh records, driven by a tech rally while Citigroup (the first major US bank to announce Q2 earnings) also reported better than expected profit, OCBC Treasury Research reported.

Further, UST bonds gained in light trading as buying interest emerged and the yield curve partly reversed its earlier steepening bias with the 10-year yield down to 2.09 percent. On the trade front, US Treasury Secretary Mnuchin hinted that he and Lighthizer may travel to China for trade talks in person if phone talks this week are productive, the report added.

Meanwhile, the Nikkei 225 index closed tad -0.69 percent lower at 21,535.25.