Jan 21 (Reuters) - Euro zone government bond yields
edged lower on Tuesday after U.S. President Donald Trump said he
wouldn't immediately impose new tariffs, leading investors to
forecast fewer inflationary policies from the new U.S.
administration.
Markets had expected that Trump would announce trade tariffs
via executive orders, raising the prospects for
higher-for-longer Federal Reserve policy rates.
Germany's 10-year bond yield, the benchmark for
the euro zone bloc, was down 0.5 basis points (bps) at 2.48%,
after hitting 2.478% its lowest since Jan. 8.
U.S. Treasury yields dropped, with the 10-year down 5.5 bps
at 4.55% in early London trade. The lack of concrete
tariff measures made investors a little more dovish on the U.S.
rate outlook.
"The greatest Trump sensitivity in financial markets is on
trade policy, which has a significant direct impact on the
dollar and equities, and indirectly on bonds," said Christoph
Rieger, head of rates and credit research at Commerzbank.
"It is positive for U.S. Treasuries by easing inflation
fears, while the impact on Bunds is more mixed, especially if
China trade deflation expectations are priced out," he added.
Germany's two-year yield, more sensitive to
European Central Bank rate expectations, fell one bp to 2.21%.
Markets priced in a European Central Bank deposit facility
rate at over 2% at the end of 2025.
Italy's 10-year yield was flat at 3.62%.
The gap between Italian and German yields -- a
gauge of the risk premium investors demand to hold Italian debt
-- dropped to 110 bps. It hit 104.5 bps in early December, its
tightest level since October 2021.
(Editing by Bernadette Baum)