10-year bond yield at over one-year low on fall in oil prices, RBI’s announcement of another round of open market operations

Mumbai: India’s benchmark 10-year bond yield dropped to its lowest level in more than a year on Monday buoyed by a fall in global crude oil prices and the announcement of another round of open market operations (OMOs) by the central bank. [caption id=“attachment_4495585” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image. Reuters.[/caption] “There is also possibly some foreign portfolio investor buying happening in the market,” a senior trader at a private bank said. India’s benchmark 10-year bond yield at 7.16 percent, its lowest level since 9 April, 2018. It had ended at 7.23 percent on Friday. Traders expect sentiment for bonds to remain positive ahead of the upcoming monetary policy committee (MPC) meeting outcome on 6 June. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) last week announced an open market operation to buy up to Rs 15,000 crore ($2.16 billion) worth of bonds on 13 June. “The auction amount overall is lesser than what they did in May but they have not said they won’t do more. So we need to wait and watch. They will conduct another round possibly if they see the need for it,” a senior dealer with a state-run bank said. The RBI had conducted two OMOs for a total of Rs 25,000 crore rupees in May.