[MARKET ANALYSIS] Japanese 10yr yield eclipses 3%, lifting global peers; focus on Bessent pushing for a September BoJ hike & fiscal concerns

Japan’s 10yr now resides incrementally above the 3.00% mark, buoyed by another round of geopolitical escalation which has lifted oil prices and the latest hawkish Fed repricing. This has brought back woes about global debt / fiscal concerns, with yields now firmly above the peaks made in late-July, when these concerns were rampant. The issue of higher yields is not exclusive to Japan, with the US10yr residing beyond the 4.75% mark (highest since Jan’25), whilst the GE10 (3.32%) holds at multi-decade highs. Some of the upside in Japanese yields can also be attributed to the domestic monetary policy environment. Markets currently assign a near-90% chance of a hike at the September meeting, following hawkish remarks from Deputy Governor Himino. He essentially left the door open for a move in September, highlighting his concern on inflation trends and calling for “timely” rate hikes. Most recently, US Treasury Secretary Bessent told Japanese officials that rate hikes are needed. This is a more explicit approach from the US side, and contrasts with remarks earlier in the year. More recently, in early August, he said that Governor Ueda would “do what is best” – markets viewed this comment as essentially endorsing a September hike. Domestic fiscal issues are also a lingering factor for Japanese bonds. The latest budget request is expected to surge beyond JPY 143tln, hitting another record high for four consecutive years (and c. JPY 122tln more than last year). Whilst the appointment of PM Takaichi and her pro-Abenomics policies were expected, the risk of rising yields and excessive spending is enough to keep investors worried. State Street’s Loo surmises the above as “bond investors are looking at a combination of inflation risk, heavy supply and term-premium repricing”. Finally, the 10yr auction overnight provides some early hints as to how investors are viewing the latest rise in yields. On the face of it, the b/c was strong at 3.29x (above 12-month avg.), and a narrower tail from the prior. It seems like the 3% threshold, for now, is enough to draw some investor demand. However, BNP’s Kimura suggests that “once that demand has been filled to some extent, we need to be alert to the possibility that upward pressure on yields could intensify further”. We now look to the 30yr auction on September 3rd.