Japan’s bond market begins “sounding the alarm”: yields on 40-year government bonds break 4% as the market starts repricing inflation risk
There has been clear volatility in Japan’s bond market recently.
With investors worrying that the Bank of Japan may not respond quickly enough to inflation pressures, the yield on 40-year Japanese government bonds rose by as much as 10 basis points at one point, breaking 4.01%. The yield on 5-year government bonds also hit a new high since the issuance in 2000.
The core concern among the market is only one thing: Japan’s inflation could prove more stubborn than expected.
An analyst at SMBC Nikko Securities said that rising oil prices are adding to market pressure. Investors are starting to demand higher yields to compensate for the inflation risks facing long-term holdings of Japanese government bonds.
At the same time, as Japan’s government discusses fiscal stimulus measures such as consumption tax relief, concerns about fiscal expansion are also intensifying in the market, which could further push bond yields higher.
Simply put, the market is betting that the Bank of Japan may have to become more hawkish in the future.
If Japanese interest rates continue to rise, it will not only affect the yen’s performance, but may also influence stocks, bonds, and even the crypto market through global capital flows.
Global capital is currently looking for a new equilibrium. Going forward, every move by the Bank of Japan could become a new barometer for the market.