Treasuries May Rise Before Report Showing Oil Costs Are Denting Confidence
April 25 (Bloomberg) -- U.S. Treasuries may advance for a third day before a report today that is forecast to show consumer confidence declined this month amid higher gasoline prices and interest rates.
Ten-year notes are poised for the longest run of gains since February on concern rising energy costs will curb spending and companies' profit in the U.S., the world's largest oil importer. Demand for debt may reduce borrowing costs for the government as it sells $47 billion of notes this week.
``Oil prices above $70 will hurt consumer confidence,'' said Lee Boon Keng, a market strategist at DBS Bank Ltd. in Singapore, Southeast Asia's biggest lender. ``The slowdown will happen in the second half. Our trajectory is for lower yields.''
The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury fell 1 basis point, or 0.01 percentage point, to 4.98 percent at 9:53 a.m. in Singapore, according to bond broker Cantor Fitzgerald LP.
The price of the 4 1/2 percent note due in February 2016 rose 2/32, or 63 cents per $1,000 face amount, to 96 11/32. The 10-year yield may fall to 4.7 percent by the end of the year, Lee said.
The Conference Board's index probably fell to 106.2 from 107.2 in March, according to the median estimate of 60 economists surveyed by Bloomberg News. The March figure was the highest since May 2002.
Crude oil futures reached a record $75.35 a barrel yesterday on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contracts traded at $73.12 today, 20 percent higher than at the start of the year.
To contact the reporter on this story:
Shamim Adam in Singapore
sadam2@bloomberg.net
Last Updated: April 24, 2006 21:55 EDT