LONDON, March 21 (Reuters) - Euro zone bond yields were
set for their biggest weekly fall since November on Friday as
traders mulled the risks of tariffs and a U.S. economic
slowdown, after shooting higher earlier in March on Germany's
spending plans.
Investors were also watching Germany's Bundesrat upper house
of parliament, which is set to vote on Friday on a dramatic
increase in spending. Analysts said the bill is likely to pass
that final hurdle.
Germany's 10-year bond yield, the benchmark for
the euro zone bloc, fell 2 basis points (bps) to 2.761% and was
on track to fall 11 bps for the week. Yields move inversely to
prices.
Analysts at Barclays, Commerzbank and ING said concerns
about U.S. President Donald Trump's April 2 deadline for tariff
decisions was weighing on sentiment and pushing investors
towards the safety of government bonds.
German yields nonetheless remain 39 bps higher for the month
after the announcement of the country's new spending plans - to
be funded largely through bond markets - sent yields soaring.
Italy's 10-year yield was lower by 1 bp at
3.836%, and the closely watched gap between Italian and German
bond yields widened slightly to 107 bps.
Germany's two-year bond yield, which is more
sensitive to European Central Bank rate expectations, was 1 bp
lower at 2.158%.