China’s bond market gains as central bank resumes debt purchases amid growth concerns


China’s bond market is set to gain further momentum, buoyed by the central bank’s resumption of government debt purchases, as softer economic data and downward pressure on growth necessitate further policy easing, according to analysts.

Huayuan Securities forecast that the upward trend was likely to drive the yield on China’s benchmark 10-year sovereign bond down to 1.65 per cent within this year. Southwest Securities predicted a drop to 1.7 per cent. The yield currently stands at 1.808 per cent.

Economic data for October indicated a worsening outlook for growth, bolstering the case for monetary easing. Industrial production grew less than expected, fixed-asset investment shrank, retail sales slowed for a fifth consecutive month, and declines in housing prices showed no signs of abating.

Expectations for policy loosening in China have also strengthened amid hopes for more rate cuts in the US, which would align the monetary policies of the world’s two largest economies to mitigate foreign exchange volatility.

“Given the weak economic data and falling property prices, there is an increasing urgency for the policy rate to fall,” said Liao Zhiming, an analyst at Huayuan Securities. The firm anticipated a 20-basis-point cut in the policy rate in the next six months, which would support the bond market in the fourth quarter.

“We are positive on bonds,” Liao said.

The Lujiazui pedestrian bridge in Shanghai’s financial district. Photo: VCG via Getty Images
The Lujiazui pedestrian bridge in Shanghai’s financial district. Photo: VCG via Getty Images
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