Finance1 min read

India bonds buckle for fourth straight month on oil's climb

By · Published by Everything Blog

In short

Indian sovereign debt extended its downward trajectory throughout October as Brent crude climbed nearly 14% to touch an intraday peak of $117.55 amid Middle East conflict fears. Yields faced intense upward pressure after the Reserve Bank of India raised its key rate to 5.50% and initiated liquidity-draining operations to defend the rupee. The benchmark 6.94% 2036 bond yield rose 22.5 basis points across the month to settle at 7.4139%. A modest late-month recovery emerged only after the 10-year yield held below the critical 7.50% psychological threshold.

Key points

  • Rising crude oil costs continue to fuel domestic inflation concerns, keeping sovereign bo…: Rising crude oil costs continue to fuel domestic inflation concerns, keeping sovereign bond prices under prolonged pressure.
  • Foreign investor exposure to index-eligible paper has retreated sharply to reach a more t…: Foreign investor exposure to index-eligible paper has retreated sharply to reach a more than four-month low.
  • Traders in the short-term overnight indexed swap market are heavily positioning for anoth…: Traders in the short-term overnight indexed swap market are heavily positioning for another large rate hike in December.

Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1

The benchmark 6.94% 2036 bond yield rose 2.5 basis points to 7.4139%, advancing 22.5 bps in October. Bond yields move inversely to prices.

Brent crude is poised for a fourth monthly advance, up nearly 14% in October, clouding the economic outlook for the world's third-largest oil importer.

Indian government bonds ended October with losses, marking a fourth consecutive decline in bond yields. Brent crude oil prices surged, raising inflation concerns for the country. The Reserve Bank of India raised its policy rate for the first time in nearly four years this month. Foreign investments in Indian bonds fell to a four-month low, causing further concerns about the rupee's performance.

It surged to $117.55 on Friday, its highest intraday level since April 30, as investors priced in a potential escalation of the US-Iran conflict after the US midterm elections next week.

Foreign money also continued to flow out of the Indian bond market, with exposure to index-eligible notes falling to a more than four-month low.

"If we do not see a turnaround in geopolitical conflicts or FPI flows, the rupee could…

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