Investors betting against Australian bonds are taking heart as the market listens as much to the U.S. Federal Reserve’s Janet Yellen as it does to local central bank chief Glenn Stevens.
Government debt due in 10 years and longer is moving in tandem with U.S. securities by the most since April. The correlation reached 0.926 at the end of last week, with a figure of 1 meaning they move in lockstep, according to an index compiled by Bloomberg and the European Federation of Financial Analysts Societies. The average is 0.797 over the past decade.
Stevens said last week the economy needs confidence rather than lower interest rates to stimulate growth, signaling Reserve Bank of Australia policy will probably remain unchanged. That leaves investors in the Australian market looking for guidance from the U.S., where Yellen said in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, on Aug. 22 that, with labor markets healing, Fed officials are shifting to debating when to reduce monetary stimulus.
Recommended Content
Editors’ Picks
EUR/USD eases to near 1.0700 ahead of German inflation data
EUR/USD is paring gains to near 1.0700 in the European session on Monday. The pair stays supported by a softer US Dollar, courtesy of the USD/JPY sell-off and a risk-friendly market environment. Germany's inflation data is next in focus.
USD/JPY recovers after testing 154.50 on likely Japanese intervention
USD/JPY is recovering ground after sliding to 154.50 on what seemed like a Japanese FX intervention. The Yen tumbled in early trades amid news that Japan's PM lost 3 key seats in the by-election. Focus shifts to the US employment data and the Fed decision later this week.
Gold price holds steady above $2,335, bulls seem reluctant amid reduced Fed rate cut bets
Gold price (XAU/USD) attracts some buyers near the $2,320 area and turns positive for the third successive day on Monday, albeit the intraday uptick lacks bullish conviction.
Ripple CTO shares take on ETHgate controversy, XRP holders await SEC opposition brief filing
Ripple loses all gains from the past seven days, trading at $0.50 early on Monday. XRP holders have their eyes peeled for the Securities and Exchange Commission filing of opposition brief to Ripple’s motion to strike expert testimony.
Week ahead: FOMC and jobs data in sight
May kicks off with the Federal Open Market Committee meeting and will be one to watch, scheduled to make the airwaves on Wednesday. It’s pretty much a sealed deal for a no-change decision at this week’s meeting.