Australia 10-Year Yield Rises After Hot Monthly CPI Data

Australia’s 10-year government bond yield rose toward 4.30% on Wednesday, its highest level in more than two weeks, as higher-than-expected monthly inflation data supported the case for interest rates to remain on hold. Annual headline inflation rose to a one-year high of 3% in August from 2.8% in July, slightly above market forecasts of 2.9%. The figure now sits at the upper end of the Reserve Bank of Australia’s 2–3% target band. Investors increased bets that the RBA will skip a move in interest rates next week, with the probability of a November rate cut falling to 60% from nearly 70% before the release. The broader data flow in recent weeks has also been on the slightly strong side, reinforcing the central bank’s cautious stance. Adding to this, Governor Michele Bullock said on Monday that the economy was in “a good place” with both growth and inflation, suggesting there was no urgency to cut rates in the near term.