Yields rise to 7

Yields rise to 7.312% on hawkish Fed stance

Bond yields went up to 7.312% on Thursday, a level last seen on August 8. Dealers said the markets were somewhat nervous after the US Fed hiked the funds rate by 75 bps and sounded more hawkish than expected.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) meets next week to review the monetary policy. The markets are expecting a 50-bps hike in the repo which would take it to 5.9% from 5.4% at present. The central bank’s commentary on liquidity is keenly awaited given that the banking system liquidity has slipped into a deficit.

Meanwhile, the RBI received bids worth Rs 94,267 crore for the overnight variable rate repo auction on Thursday, nearly twice the notified amount of Rs 50,000 crore. The cut-off rate was 5.58%, a little lower than the Marginal Standing Facility (MSF) rate of 5.65%.The auction was ostensibly aimed at helping ease the liquidity deficit which had gone up to Rs 21,873 on Tuesday.

On Wednesday the net injection of funds was much smaller at Rs 11,886.4 crore. The weighted call money rate which had gone up to 5.64% on Tuesday, remained steady on Wednesday. The money supply data from the central bank revealed that currency with the public stood at Rs 2.3 trillion as on September 9, up 8% year-on-year.