logo
Japanese government bond yields retreat after strong 10-year note auction

Japanese government bond yields retreat after strong 10-year note auction

Zawya2 days ago

TOKYO - Yields on 10-year Japanese government bonds sank on Tuesday, reversing an earlier rise, after results of an auction of the securities saw the highest demand since April last year.
The 10-year yield dropped 3 basis points (bps) to 1.475%, as of 0349 GMT, following an earlier rise of as much as 1.5 bps as Japanese yields initially tracked a rise among U.S. peers from overnight.
Benchmark 10-year JGB futures rose 0.15 yen to 139.17 yen.
Two-year JGB yields slipped 0.5 bp to 0.745%.
Other tenors had yet to trade following the announcement of the auction results at 0335 GMT.
Mizuho's chief desk strategist, Shoki Omori, called the result "a remarkably robust outcome ... that likely caught most observers off guard."
The bid-to-cover ratio, a measure of demand that gauges the number of bids against the amount of securities on offer, rose to 3.663 from 2.544 at the prior sale in May. At the auction last April, the ratio was 3.799.
(Reporting by Kevin Buckland; Editing by Sonia Cheema)

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Private credit set to become a part of institutional investor portfolios
Private credit set to become a part of institutional investor portfolios

Khaleej Times

time4 hours ago

  • Khaleej Times

Private credit set to become a part of institutional investor portfolios

Private credit is set to become a part of all institutional investor portfolios globally, especially as investors seek yield in a higher interest rate, lower-beta environment, an industry veteran said. 'Over the next 5–7 years, the asset class will mature further in Asia, driven by bank's doing more plain vanilla lending, rising corporate borrowing needs, and increased investor appetite for fixed income alternatives,' Kanchan Jain, Head at Ascertis Credit Group, said. Excerpts from an interview: With increasing interest from GCC-based sovereigns and family offices in Asian private credit, are you seeing more opportunities for cross-regional partnerships or capital flows into your funds from the Middle East? GCC based sovereigns and family offices have been long-time supporters of Asian and Indian strategies but of late we are seeing an increasing interest from GCC based sovereigns and family offices in Asia and India private credit strategies. They are recognising the benefit of adding private credit strategies to their portfolio and exploring the best fit for them i.e through strategic investments, fund investments, directs and/or co-investments. We are also seeing increasing conversations around cross-regional partnerships as well capital deployment at scale. With over $1 billion deployed and four successful funds, how is Ascertis positioning its upcoming fifth fund in the current macroeconomic landscape, particularly in Asia ex-China markets? Ascertis Credit's latest fund is being launched at a pivotal time when companies across Asia are actively seeking non-dilutive growth capital amidst tightening bank lending. The Fund operates in the high-growth, underpenetrated private credit markets of India and Singapore-SEA, offering significantly outsized returns compared to developed markets. These markets are characterized by strong growth prospects, well-entrenched market positions, and lower leverage of good size, established companies. This geographic footprint also provides strong diversification benefits away from the headwinds created through ever-shifting geopolitics and risk of slowdown in largest developed markets in the West. The Indian economy represents one of the fastest growing large economies globally and is expected to grow at a CAGR of c. 6-7% in real terms, which translates to high teens nominal CAGR for most growing and well-established corporates with a significant need for customized capital. Beyond India, there is untapped potential in the various markets that collectively make up SEA where constituting countries have witnessed robust economic growth, reflected in their GDP expansion. A number of such companies are headquartered or have significant presence in Singapore and represent strong investment profiles. Singapore also provides a strong jurisdiction in terms of legal and creditor rights. Data from World Economic Forum suggests that over a ten-year period (2012 – 2022), ASEAN countries have accounted for 9% of global GDP growth – paralleled by the growth in the size of its banking and credit markets[1]. With a target size of $750 million to $1 billion, the fund will continue the firm's legacy of targeting high-quality, cash-generative businesses with a clear focus on capital preservation and strong governance. By leveraging macroeconomic trends—such as India's infrastructure boom, Southeast Asia's rising middle class, and the global shift towards diversified supply chains—Ascertis Credit aims to capitalize on underserved yet robust credit opportunities in the region. India and Southeast Asia are rapidly growing credit markets but remain significantly underpenetrated. What makes these regions uniquely attractive to Ascertis, and how do you navigate the associated risks? India and Southeast Asia offer a unique confluence of macroeconomic tailwinds, structural reforms, and demographic momentum. India, in particular, is projected to be the world's third-largest economy by 2027, with consistent GDP growth driven by policy reforms, digital inclusion, and a thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem. In addition to its market size, India's allure lies in the strength of its financial market institutions, democratic form of governance, vast domestic market and commitment to economic reforms resulting in a steady and consistent deal flow of diverse investment opportunities across sectors. The sheer breadth and depth of opportunities available from technology and manufacturing to infrastructure and consumer goods in the Indian private credit market distinguishes it from the private credit opportunities available in other emerging economies. The Singapore-SEA bucket focuses on the attractive deal flow of US$ transactions for Singapore-based sponsor and non-sponsor businesses that are well established with regional footprint and need bespoke non-dilutive capital for growth. Singapore serves as a financial gateway to Southeast Asia, offering regulatory stability and access to regional deal flow. Collectively, ASEAN has witnessed robust economic growth, reflected in its GDP expansion. Data from World Economic Forums suggests that over a ten-year period (2012 – 2022), ASEAN countries have accounted for 9% of global GDP growth – paralleled by the growth in the size of its banking and credit markets. The broader geographic focus to include Singapore-SEA helps the strategy benefit from diversification, lower FX drag on account of US$ transactions, and lower withholding taxes on US dollar transactions. Ascertis Credit addresses various risks through its proven and tested underwriting and risk management model, targeting established companies with a track record, investing via secured lending and using strong structuring mechanisms and credit enhancement features such as security, ringfencing assets, escrows and guarantees, as applicable along with strong covenants to create a strong investment profile. Our investment process is anchored in deep underwriting, ongoing monitoring, and a strong emphasis on compliance—enabling it to navigate volatility while preserving investor capital. Ascertis Credit today manages capital for several global, marquee institutions across NA, ME and Asia, and continues to see increasing appetite for its funds on the back of the strong track record delivered by it existing funds. Ascertis Credit is committed to scaling its performing private credit platform, diversifying its offerings across tenors, sectors and geographies, and continuing to lead with its solution-oriented investment philosophy. The firm's recent launch of a short-term income fund within the performing credit fund series reflects its responsiveness to evolving investor needs, while its upcoming flagship fund reinforces its commitment to long-term, structured private credit. With a seasoned team, proven track record, and regional depth, Ascertis Credit is poised to shape the next phase of private credit growth across Asia. Ascertis Credit has emerged as one of Asia's leading private credit managers. What has been the core strategy behind your success over the past decade, especially in sourcing off-market opportunities? As a pioneer and one of the longest investors' in the private performing credit investor in India, Ascertis Credit has built a reputation for delivering bespoke, risk-adjusted private credit solutions to high-growth companies in India and Southeast Asia. This source of capital is often seen to be critical in allowing existing established companies to take advantage of the strong growth prospects in their sector. The firm's success is anchored in its ability to source proprietary, off-market transactions through a unique sourcing engine of c. 500 relationships that the company has built over the years. This has been made possible by its long-standing on the ground presence in India and Singapore, deep local relationships spreading across Tier 2 and 3 cities in India, and a sector-agnostic approach focused on performance and structure over size. This approach has allowed Ascertis Credit to generate consistent and strong returns for its investors across all its funds, and provide access to high growth companies that are not accessible through public markets or typical private equity strategies. Additionally, since the underying exposure is secured debt, the return profile is much stronger and returns more reliable. Over the 11 years, the team has raised four funds and invested over US$ 1.2 billion across portfolio companies in diversified sectors. Ascertis Credit's investment focus is on Asia ex-China, with an emphasis on India and Singapore-SE Asia, representing some of the region's fastest-growing yet underpenetrated credit capital markets.

UAE-Japan Women's Friendship Committee celebrates 10 years of promoting female empowerment in energy sector
UAE-Japan Women's Friendship Committee celebrates 10 years of promoting female empowerment in energy sector

Al Etihad

time9 hours ago

  • Al Etihad

UAE-Japan Women's Friendship Committee celebrates 10 years of promoting female empowerment in energy sector

4 June 2025 17:46 TOKYO (WAM) The UAE-Japan Friendship Committee for Women Career Development (FCW) has celebrated 10 years of promoting female empowerment in the energy the directives of Her Highness Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, the Mother of the Nation', Chairwoman of the General Women's Union (GWU), President of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood (SCMC), and Supreme Chairwoman of the Family Development Foundation (FDF), FCW convened in Tokyo for the 20th forum since its establishment in 20th forum was held under the theme 'My leadership journey for a sustainable society and energy industry'.This year's participation in Japan included an exclusive presence for the committee at Expo 2025 in Osaka, with a dedicated workshop at the UAE by Her Highness' leadership, the UAE-Japan Friendship Committee for Women's Career Development brought outstanding female talent from the UAE and Japan together to exchange experiences and insights, and advanced initiatives that drive female progress in both countries, strengthening career paths and fostering inclusivity and more than 4,500 females from UAE, Japan, Malaysia and Indonesia and other GCC countries, FCW has played an important role over the past decade in empowering women in the energy transformation at the FCW event included Dr. Maitha bint Salem Al Shamsi, Minister of State and FCW Chairwoman; Haruhiko Ando, CEO of the Japan Cooperation Centre for Petroleum (JCCP), Fatema Al Nuaimi, CEO of ADNOC Gas, Marwan Alnaqbi, Head of Mission for the UAE in Tokyo; and committee members of the FCW UAE her keynote address, Dr. Al Shamsi conveyed the greetings of Her Highness Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, expressing her continued support for the forums. She emphasised that FCW forums strengthen UAE-Japan bilateral relations, advance female engagement in energy, and support women's career Ando said, 'The world's intelligence and capabilities should be shared equally between men and women. It can be said that FCW's stimulating and pioneering activities over the past 10 years have become a powerful driving force for promoting women's empowerment and have established advanced examples in the oil-related industry.'Fatema Al Nuaimi said: 'Over the past 10 years, the UAE-Japan Friendship Committee for Women Career Development has served as an important platform to drive female empowerment in the energy sector. This edition has provided actionable steps to enable female future leaders to better contribute to advancing the energy industry, and ADNOC looks forward to building on these steps as we continue to empower our female talent to build successful careers.' ADNOC and the JCCP have held FCW forums in the UAE and Japan since 2015, highlighting the importance of females' contributions across the energy industry.

South Korea's Lee Jae-myung is the right man to deal with Donald Trump
South Korea's Lee Jae-myung is the right man to deal with Donald Trump

The National

time9 hours ago

  • The National

South Korea's Lee Jae-myung is the right man to deal with Donald Trump

South Koreans went to the polls to choose a new president on Tuesday, and they handed Lee Jae-myung of the Democratic Party a clear victory with 49.4 per cent of the vote. But even before Mr Lee was sworn in at the country's Parliament the following morning, he appeared to be surrounded by a whirlwind of questions, accusations and warnings. 'The first task facing South Korea's next leader: Handling Trump' was one headline, referring not just to the 25 per cent tariffs Seoul may have to deal with from Washington, but also Mr Lee's willingness to improve relations with China and North Korea, a shift from the very pro-US and Japan outlook of former president Yoon Suk-yeol, who had plunged the country into chaos by briefly declaring martial law last December. It may indeed be quite the challenge if Mr Trump listens to one self-appointed adviser, the hardcore Maga activist Laura Loomer, who posted on X: 'RIP South Korea. The communists have taken over and won the presidential election today. This is terrible.' Mr Lee faces a country with deep political divides, and the two other candidates, both on the right, won a combined total of just over 50 per cent. So even though the election was widely seen as being driven by anger at Mr Yoon's self-implosion – for which he was impeached, arrested and driven from office – which hindered the candidacy of Kim Moon-soo, who is from the same People Power Party as Mr Yoon, 'the conservative tally outweighed Lee's support even after the debacle of Yoon's martial law decree', as one analyst put it. Not enough young people support Mr Lee, say some. He faces legal charges – which he says are politically motivated – although they may be suspended until after his five-year term as President ends. Others accuse him of being a showy populist who has used fiery and – they would say – irresponsible rhetoric about US troops stationed in the country. How will he cope with an economy that is 'sputtering'? Oh, and to top it all, he apparently doesn't even have a proper place to work, since Mr Yoon moved the presidential office out of the Blue House, the official residence, to a military compound that none of the candidates said they liked. There are other ways to look at Mr Lee's victory, of course. The 6 per cent margin of his win over Mr Kim was more than emphatic enough in a three-way race, and with his Democratic Alliance partners holding 173 out of the 300 parliamentary seats, there should be none of the logjam between the executive and the legislature that led Mr Yoon to make such a rash (and career-ending) move. Mr Lee has called for 'national unity' and said on election night that he wanted South Korea to be a country 'where we live together with mutual recognition and co-operation rather than hatred and loathing'. All of this should reassure investors, while the new President has a $25 billion stimulus package up his sleeve, plans for labour and corporate governance reforms, and wants to go all-out on stimulating domestic demand. As for Mr Trump, despite Ms Loomer's wild characterisation of Mr Lee as a 'communist' – the adjectives 'liberal' and 'centrist' are more commonly preferred – the two leaders may be more likely to hit it off than some have suggested. They are both populists: Mr Lee made a point of being filmed when he climbed over barriers to enter the National Assembly to vote against Mr Yoon's imposition of martial law last December, and he has been referred to as 'Korea's Bernie Sanders', but also as 'Korea's Trump', for his candid speech and ability to connect with the grassroots. On North Korea, if Mr Trump enters negotiations with Pyongyang again, as he did during his first term, the two could be very in tune. In fact, this February Mr Lee's party sent a letter to the Nobel Committee urging them to nominate Mr Trump for this year's peace prize in the hope that he 'continue his peace-building efforts during his second term', as a party official put it. That was a canny move that will surely have been brought to Mr Trump's attention. Both men have survived assassination attempts. Mr Lee was stabbed in the neck in January 2024 and was airlifted to hospital. Just like Mr Trump, Mr Lee drew inspiration from his survival, saying: 'Since my life was saved by our people, I will dedicate the rest of it solely to serving them.' And when it comes to trade discussions with the US, not only has Mr Lee said it is 'the most important issue' for him, after 'overcoming people's hardships and recovering from the current turmoil', but he seems prepared both to stand his ground and to show the US President whatever deference is required. 'Diplomacy between independent countries can be mutually beneficial,' Mr Lee said on Korean radio last Monday. 'We have plenty of cards to play. There's room to give and take, and that's what we must do well.' Asked how he would react to tough words from Mr Trump, Mr Lee was ready. 'That's just the way powerful countries operate,' he said. 'Any humiliation or pressure is not about me personally – it's about the entire nation. If it's necessary, I'll crawl under his legs. What's the big deal?' So for sure, Mr Lee faces challenges. But with a clear mandate, allies dominating Parliament, and being seen as the person bringing back stability after the tumult of the past six months, he has a lot going for him too. Navigating better relations with China while maintaining the treaty alliance with the US won't perhaps be easy, but he won't be the only leader having to thread that needle. Above all, his pragmatism may end up being his greatest strength. Take his concluding words about his possible approach to Mr Trump: 'An hour of the president's time is worth 52 million hours of the Korean people's time,' he said. 'If the president has to bend briefly so that 52 million people can stand tall, then that's what must be done.'

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store