London (AFP) – A sell-off of bonds from key countries worldwide deepened on Tuesday, sending government borrowing costs soaring and equities lower as investors fretted that energy-driven inflation would force central bankers to hike interest rates. The latest bout of fighting between the United States and Iran has pushed oil prices higher, stoking fears of tighter monetary policy that could weigh on economic growth.
Heavy selling sent the interest rate on 30-year UK government bonds to the highest since 1998, while the 10-year yield surged to a level not seen since the global financial crisis of 2007-08. Japan’s 10-year bond yield touched a 30-year high of three percent, reflecting worries about plans for massive government spending. The yield on the 30-year US Treasury bond stood at just under 5.3 percent, not far from levels last seen in 2007, while the 10-year yield rose to its highest level since January 2025.
“The bond sell-off has…been a global affair,” said Deutsche Bank’s Jim Reid. He said the “main culprit was the weekend escalation in the Middle East that saw the US and Iran exchange strikes for the first time since late July”. But Patrick O’Hare at Briefing.com pointed to underlying fears about inflation and government deficits. “The result has been a steady uplift for sovereign bond yields that has stirred competition concerns for stocks, as well as general growth concerns,” he said.
Wall Street stocks slumped as trading got underway in New York, with the tech-heavy Nasdaq falling more than one percent. European stocks were also lower in afternoon trading, with sentiment hit by official data showing that eurozone inflation hit a three-year high at 3.3 percent in August, cementing expectations that the European Central Bank would raise interest rates next week.
Oil prices jumped over two percent on Tuesday as traders continued to react to a resumption of the US and Iran trading fire for the first time in weeks and US President Donald Trump threatened to hit Iran “hard”. After six months of war, the conflict remains at an impasse, with Tehran keeping the strategic Strait of Hormuz closed and Washington maintaining a counter-blockade of Iranian ports. “With Trump now threatening further action against Iran, including against Kharg Island, Iran’s key oil export hub, supply worries are once again front and centre,” said Susannah Streeter, chief investment strategist at Wealth Club.
Traders are now awaiting key economic data ahead of the US Federal Reserve’s policy meeting on September 16. The jobs and consumer price index reports could play a major role in whether the bank lifts rates, with bets on an increase surging after Fed chair Kevin Warsh gave a hawkish speech on Friday.
Asian stock markets were also lower on Tuesday, with Tokyo, Hong Kong, and Shanghai all falling. The yen weakened against the dollar despite US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent telling CNBC he expected Japan to support the currency, which has lost half the gains made in a historic joint intervention after it hit a 40-year low. The comments were seen as a signal for the Bank of Japan to tighten monetary policy when it meets this month.
In company news, shares in the fast-fashion giant Shein slumped 10 percent at one point on its long-awaited Hong Kong trading debut, having raised $1.7 billion in a high-profile initial public offering. It later pared the losses to close almost flat.
– Key figures at around 1330 GMT –
Brent North Sea Crude: UP 2.4 percent at $92.67 per barrel
West Texas Intermediate: UP 2.9 percent at $88.25 per barrel
New York – Dow: DOWN 0.7 percent at 52,824.27 points
New York – S&P 500: DOWN 0.8 percent at 7,628.53
New York – Nasdaq Composite: DOWN 1.3 percent at 26,019.11
London – FTSE 100: DOWN 0.4 percent at 10,780.20
Paris – CAC 40: DOWN 0.2 percent at 8,319.91
Frankfurt – DAX: DOWN 0.8 percent at 26,037.83
Tokyo – Nikkei 225: DOWN 0.2 percent at 66,215.34 (close)
Hong Kong – Hang Seng Index: DOWN 0.9 percent at 25,329.73 (close)
Shanghai – Composite: DOWN 0.2 percent at 3,979.89 (close)
Dollar/yen: UP at 160.07 yen from 159.77 yen on Monday
Euro/dollar: DOWN at $1.1595 from $1.1618
Pound/dollar: DOWN at $1.3536 from $1.3550
Euro/pound: DOWN at 85.65 pence from 85.74 pence
© 2024 AFP
