Nyheter
What is behind the rise of global bond yields?
Fixed Income Research – What is behind the rise of global bond yields?
Highlights
- The rise of US yields is driving up yields around the world.
- We expect higher volatility in global rates, amplified by geopolitical risks and commodity price movements.
- Structural headwinds and accommodative foreign monetary policies will likely limit the rise US yields over the medium term.
Since last November, investors’ sentiment has turned into ‘risk-on’ mode, favouring risky assets and equities relative to bonds. The rise in global yields and the steepening of yield curves has fuelled fears about the end of the 35-year bond bull market.
US yields drive up global yields
Since the early 2000s, the rise of global financial integration (i.e. the increase movements of capital between economies) has been reflected in higher co-movement in global yields. The chart below shows that almost 60% of the changes in bond yields of advanced economies (US, UK, Germany, and Japan) may be explained by a common factor.
´
The recent rise of global yields was predominantly driven by the rise of US yields along with cyclical factors (such as inflation, geopolitical risk and market volatility). However, we believe the ongoing accommodative monetary policies in Europe and Japan are likely to keep bond yields low in these regions, limiting the rise of US yields over the medium term.
What is driving US yields higher?
Long-term bonds yields are a function of the expected future short-term interest rates and the bond term premium that investors require to buy long-term bonds rather than roll over a series of shorter maturity bonds (i.e. inflation risk premium). The trend decline in global yields in the past 35 years mostly reflects the trend decline in bond term premium, while expected short-term interest rates fluctuate along with the changes in monetary policies.
Expected short-term rates started to increase in December 2013 when the Fed announced the tapering of its monthly bond purchases. However, US bond term premiums continued to decline and then slipped into negative territory in the first half of 2016 – for the first time in history. Deflation fears fuelled by the 70% drop of energy prices between 2014 and 2015 negatively affected inflation risk premiums, which declined from 0.5% to -0.5%. The sustained rebound in energy prices since February 2016 enabled inflation premiums to bounce back in Q4 2016, leaving both forces – bond term premium and expected short-term rates – trending upward. As a result, US long-term yields started to rise.
We evaluate the current mispricing of the 10yr treasury yield at 10bps tighter than its estimated value, based on the gap between the current 10yr yields and the sum of its two components. Thus, we believe most of the expected three rate hikes from the Fed this year have already been priced into 10yr yields. However, we expect higher rates volatility amplified by elevated volatility in energy prices and geopolitical risks. The MOVE index (an indicator of bond markets volatility) has increased 20% since Q4 2016.
Structural headwinds push yields down
The recent tightening in US financial conditions has been driven by the prospect of a better economic outlook in the US, reflecting current expectations of larger fiscal policy stimulus. In our opinion, the efficiency of the fiscal stimulus and its effects on bond markets will crucially depend on its fiscal neutrality and on its capacity to boost productivity and labour force growth. While the labour force growth has rebounded since 2012 under the accommodative monetary policy of the Fed, US productivity growth remain low from an historical perspective and continue to weigh on the economy.
Historical data reveals a strong positive relationship between investment and labour productivity.
The decline trend of investment in advanced economies can be partly explained by high credit constraints. The Debt Service Ratio (DSR) or the share of income used to service debt has not yet return to the pre-crisis levels, weighing on consumption and investment.
Subdued long-term economic trend limit yields’ rise
The gradual decline in the US GDP growth trend has led to gradual similar decline in the neutral real interest rate (i.e. the federal funds rate that neither stimulates nor restrains economic growth), which, in turn, has caused the decline in long-term interest rates. The US Congressional Budget Office (CBO) forecasts a stable 2% potential real GDP growth – the highest level of real GDP that can be sustained over the long term – for the US economy over the next 10 years. Accordingly, the neutral real interest rate for the US is expected to pick up and move in tandem with the potential real GDP. Although, both remain lower from a historical perspective.
This analysis is consistent with the gradual downward revision of long-run projections from the FOMC. From 2012 to today, the FOMC gradually revised downward its estimates for the long-run potential GDP growth rate and the terminal fed funds rate (or neutral interest rate) from 2.4% to 1.8% and from 4.25% to 3.00% respectively. Fed Chair Yellen reiterated in January1 that the Fed expects to increase Federal Funds rate target a few times a year until, by end of 2019, it is close to its longer-run neutral rate of 3%. Accordingly, we expect the Fed to hike rates three times this year.
We expect the trend rise of the US yields to be gradual over the medium term toward 2019 amid higher volatility. The upside risks to this view would come from a significant and quicker-than-expected rebound in productivity growth and inflation.
For more information contact:
ETF Securities Research team
ETF Securities (UK) Limited
T +44 (0) 207 448 4336
E info@etfsecurities.com
Important Information
The analyses in the above tables are purely for information purposes. They do not reflect the performance of any ETF Securities’ products . The futures and roll returns are not necessarily investable.
General
This communication has been provided by ETF Securities (UK) Limited (“ETFS UK”) which is authorised and regulated by the United Kingdom Financial Conduct Authority (the “FCA”).
This communication is only targeted at qualified or professional investors
• Global crypto asset adoption rates are significantly higher than previously estimated.
• The data generally suggest that both the US and Europe may be at the cusp of mass retail adoption – a situation often referred to as “Hyperbitcoinization” in the context of Bitcoin.
• Chances are that the growth of adoption will surprise to the upside due to the fact that we are most likely at the inflection point from ”Early Adopters” to ”Early Majority”.
Trump recently made a public statement implying that 50 million Americans already held ”crypto”. The most recent surveys among US consumers seem to support this number.
It is no surprise that cryptoassets have become a major topic during the US presidential election as the parties have become increasingly aware that cryptoasset users could play a significant role at the ballot.
Both Trump and Robert Kennedy Jr. are scheduled to deliver a pro-Bitcoin speech at the upcoming Bitcoin conference in Nashville over the weekend.
It seems as if cryptoasset users are not a small minority anymore that can be ignored.
Here are some recent US bitcoin and crypto adoption surveys for comparison (% of total population in brackets):
• Security.org: 93 mn (28%)
• Unchained: 86 mn (26%)
• Statista: 53.6 mn (16%)
• Morning Consult: 44.2 mn (13%)
• Finder: 38.4 mn (11%)
In general, cryptoasset adoption has been on the rise globally.
A recent global survey among institutional investors conducted by Fidelity even implies that 51% of surveyed institutional investors have already invested into cryptoassets such as Bitcoin.
Another recent consumer survey by Statista implies that approximately every 5th person (21%) worldwide has already invested into cryptoassets.
However, it’s important to highlight that among the top 10 regions with the highest adoption rates, 8 regions are developing countries.
So, cryptoasset adoption rates are even significantly higher among developing countries than in developed countries that often suffer from chronically high inflation rates and weak domestic currencies.
That being said, the data generally suggest that both the US and Europe may be at the cusp of mass retail adoption – a situation often referred to as “Hyperbitcoinization” in the context of Bitcoin.
The reason is that technological adoption in general tends to accelerate at the threshold from the so-called “early adopters” to the “early majority” which is around 16% adoption rate based on the model of technological adoption famously put forth by Rogers (1962).
Global adoption rates are already at 21% while adoption rates in the US and Europe are at around 16% and 14%, respectively. So, there is a strong case for an acceleration of adoption rates in these regions and globally over the coming years.
Recent political developments in the US also imply that Bitcoin and cryptoassets are gradually becoming mainstream.
Trump has recently endorsed domestic Bitcoin mining in the US and both Democrats and Republicans have started accepting crypto payments for campaign financing.
The big success of the spot Bitcoin ETFs this year and the fact that additional types of spot crypto ETFs are being launched marks a significant shift in sentiment among US regulators in this regard.
In short, chances are that the growth of adoption will surprise to the upside due to the fact that we are most-likely at the inflection point from ”Early Adopters” to ”Early Majority”.
Bottom Line
• Global crypto asset adoption rates are significantly higher than previously estimated.
• The data generally suggest that both the US and Europe may be at the cusp of mass retail adoption – a situation often referred to as “Hyperbitcoinization” in the context of Bitcoin.
• Chances are that the growth of adoption will surprise to the upside due to the fact that we are most likely at the inflection point from ”Early Adopters” to ”Early Majority”.
To read more about suitable investment solutions by ETC Group, please click the button below:
This is not investment advice. Capital at risk. Read the full disclaimer
© ETC Group 2019-2024 | All rights reserved
Are we about to enter “Hyperbitcoinization”?
Investera i Optimism med en börshandlad produkt
JPGH ETF investerar i amerikanska tillväxtaktier
Bitcoin as a hedge against geopolitical risks?
DFND ETF investerar i flyg- och försvarsindustrin
Vilka var juni månads populäraste EFTer?
Harwood Capital Management samarbetar med HANetf för att lansera sin första UCITS ETF
Att tajma marknaden är en förlorande strategi
Börshandlade fonder ser inflöden på mer än en halv miljon troy ounce platina
The Bitcoin Macro Investor
-
Nyheter4 veckor sedanVilka var juni månads populäraste EFTer?
-
Nyheter1 vecka sedanHarwood Capital Management samarbetar med HANetf för att lansera sin första UCITS ETF
-
Nyheter2 veckor sedanAtt tajma marknaden är en förlorande strategi
-
Nyheter3 veckor sedanBörshandlade fonder ser inflöden på mer än en halv miljon troy ounce platina
-
Nyheter3 veckor sedanThe Bitcoin Macro Investor
-
Nyheter4 veckor sedanInvestera i koppar med hjälp av börshandlade produkter
-
Nyheter3 veckor sedanCETH ETP en börshandlad produkt på Ethereum som ger staking intäkter
-
Nyheter4 veckor sedanSyntetiska börshandlade fonder: Vad det är, hur det fungerar
