SYDNEY, June 28 (Reuters) - U.S. Treasury yields inched
higher on Friday as anxiety built before U.S. inflation data
that could make or break the case for a September rate cut,
while awaiting the full fallout from the U.S. presidential
debate.
Two-year yields crept up 2 basis points to
4.732%, barely changed on the week but down 16 basis points for
the month.
Yields on 10-year notes also rose 2 basis points
to 4.313%, 5 basis points higher for the week but still off 20
basis points for June so far.
Bonds had been aided by a batch of data pointing to a
cooling U.S. economy, leading the closely-watched Atlanta Fed's
GDPNow indicator to tick down to 2.7% from 3.0%.
Much now rests on the May price index for personal
consumption expenditures (PCE), one of the Federal Reserve's
favoured measures of inflation, which needs to slow as expected
to keep rate cuts on track.
Forecasts are that the core measure rose just 0.1% in May,
pulling the annual pace down to 2.6% and its lowest since March
2021. Estimates range from zero to 0.2%, though there are more
analysts tipping the latter than the former.
"So far in Q2, the incoming economic data are heralding a
resumption of disinflation and shift towards greater economic
balance," said analysts at ANZ in a note.
"If the June data continue to show moderation, that should
support an acknowledgement from the Fed that policy settings are
working."
Futures imply a 64% chance of a quarter-point rate
cut in September, compared with roughly 49% a month ago, and 45
basis points of easing this year.
The early take on the U.S. presidential debate was that
neither President Joe Biden or Republican former president
Donald Trump landed a knockout blow on his opponent, though
market odds narrowed slightly for a Trump win.
Analysts at JPMorgan noted Trump's team had proposed wide
scale tariffs on imports would lift prices, while restrictions
to immigration would put upward pressure on wages and extended
tax cuts would likely add to government debt.
"It could thus be argued that Trump's policies overall may
imply significant upside risks to inflation, inflation
expectations and Treasury issuance," wrote JPMorgan analyst
Nikolaos Panigirtzoglou in a note.
"As yet, markets do not appear to have yet priced in much
risk premium for the inflationary implications of the Trump
campaign's major policies."
Neither candidate has talked much about the ballooning
government debt and deficit, which the IMF on Thursday warned
was a major threat to the U.S. and global economy.
The Fund said higher taxes and cuts to spending were needed
to restrain general government debt, which was otherwise
expected to exceed 140 percent of GDP by 2032.
(Reporting by Wayne Cole; Editing by Lincoln Feast.)