Rose to 1.61% at One Point
The yield on Japan's benchmark 10-year government bond has reached a record high.
On August 21 in the Tokyo bond market, the yield on the 10-year government bond briefly hit 1.61%. According to reports from Nikkei and other outlets, this is the highest level since October 2008, during the global financial crisis triggered by the Lehman Brothers collapse.
The yield on the 20-year government bond also rose to 2.655%, the highest level since November 1999.
Analysts attribute the rise in government bond yields to growing expectations in the market that the Bank of Japan (BOJ), Japan's central bank, will raise its benchmark interest rate. After raising its short-term policy rate from 0.25% to 0.5% in January this year, the BOJ has kept rates unchanged at all four subsequent monetary policy meetings.
In the financial markets, there is speculation that the BOJ will raise rates around October. Kyodo News reported, "Concerns are also mounting that government finances will deteriorate as the Liberal Democratic Party and Komeito have become minority ruling parties in the House of Councillors (upper house) elections." Previously, Japan's opposition parties called for a consumption tax cut in last month's upper house elections, and in response, concerns over increased deficit bond issuance and expanded liquidity led to a rise in long-term government bond yields in the market.
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