TOKYO, June 5 (Reuters) - Japanese government bond (JGB)
yields declined to two-week lows on Wednesday tracking U.S.
yields, even as investors remained cautious regarding potential
tapering of the Bank of Japan's (BOJ) bond purchases at its
policy meeting next week.
The benchmark 10-year yield briefly fell to
0.99%, below the psychologically significant 1% mark for the
first time since May 24.
It was last down 3 basis points (bps) at 1%, while 10-year
futures rose 0.32 yen to 143.83 yen.
The two-year yield declined 3 bps to 0.35%.
U.S. Treasury yields slid to an almost three-week low
overnight after data showed that domestic job openings fell more
than expected in April.
The slide has generated downward pressure in the JGB market,
while solid demand at an auction for Japan's 10-year bonds on
Tuesday helped pull yields lower.
But while yields have approached levels seen as increasingly
attractive to major domestic institutional investors, concerns
about potential policy changes remain, said Ryutaro Kimura,
fixed income strategist at AXA Investment Managers.
"The recent high volatility in JGB yields is attributed to a
decline in market liquidity, as bond investors have become more
cautious in their JGB purchases...ahead of the June BOJ
meeting."
A surprise reduction to the BOJ's bond-buying on May 13,
along with a slew of hawkish comments from policymakers, have
caused bets for another rate hike as soon as July to rise, and
put investors on alert for an official cut to the central bank's
bond purchases.
Japan's benchmark yields have touched more than decade peaks
this year, with the 10-year yield reaching a 13-year peak of
1.1% on Thursday.
Elsewhere on the curve, the 20-year JGB yield
ticked down 3.5 bps to 1.830%, while the 30-year
JGB yield declined 4.5 bps to 2.175%.
The five-year yield fell 3.5 bps to 0.565%.
(Reporting by Brigid Riley; Editing by Varun H K)