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Euro area bond yields down less than 2 bp over two

sessions

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PIMCO says ECB easing cycle probably over

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Traders price in 54% chance of another ECB rate cut in

2026

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France still in focus as fiscal concerns remain

(Updates prices)

By Stefano Rebaudo

Oct 28 (Reuters) - Euro zone government bond yields

steadied on Tuesday, as investors turned cautious ahead of

central bank decisions and amid uncertainty over a broad

U.S.-China trade deal.

The U.S. Federal Reserve wraps up its two-day policy meeting

on Wednesday, and rate decisions from the European Central Bank

and the Bank of Japan are due on Thursday.

Borrowing costs jumped on Friday after strong euro zone

purchasing managers' index readings, while traders priced in

slightly less than a 50% chance of another ECB rate cut next

year.

Investors are now awaiting key euro area inflation data,

which could influence expectations for future ECB policy moves.

German 10-year Bund yields were almost unchanged

in late trade in Europe at 2.615%, having edged down 1 basis

point the previous day.

Markets have fully priced in a 25-bp rate cut by the Fed on

Wednesday for a while and will closely watch for clues about a

possible end of quantitative tightening measures.

The BOJ is expected to consider the best timing for the next

hike, while the ECB is seen keeping rates unchanged and offering

no guidance on the outlook.

"The ECB cutting cycle is presumably complete, with

inflation broadly at target and growth around trend, and the

deposit facility rate at a level likely considered the mid-point

of a neutral euro area policy range by the majority of Governing

Council members," said PIMCO portfolio manager Konstantin Veit.

Money markets priced in a 54% chance of a 25-bp ECB rate cut

by September. The key rate is seen at about

1.90% in December 2026 from the current

2%.

Euro zone consumers have lowered their inflation

expectations for the next year, indicating price growth is no

longer a major worry, the ECB's Consumer Expectations Survey

showed.

Germany's 2-year yields, which are more sensitive

to expectations for ECB monetary policy, dropped 1 bp to 1.976%.

The yield gap between safe-haven Bunds and 10-year French

government bonds - a market gauge of the risk

premium investors demand to hold French debt - was mostly steady

at 80.16. The spread hit 87.96 bps in early October, its widest

since January, driven by investor concerns over France's fiscal

trajectory.

"We remain negative on France," said Mohit Kumar, a European

economist at Jefferies, referencing the French National

Assembly's adoption of an amendment to increase corporate taxes,

as a compromise to get a budget deal.

"The only way for the current government to survive is to

offer more compromises which would be fiscally negative," he

added.

(Reporting by Stefano Rebaudo; editing by Alexander Smith and

Ros Russell)