Yesterday, the majority of flow is derived from maturing funds, as markets remained quiet with Victoria, South Australia, and Tasmania offline.
Suncorp has launched a 5-year senior unsecured issuance with an initial price guidance of +105 basis points.
This is approximately 15 basis points wider than trading of the most recent ANZ 5-year issuance.
Markets Await U.S. CPI
Markets are moving sideways as they await U.S. CPI figures tonight.
Last month’s U.S. CPI came in hotter than expected, with core inflation at 3.9% versus an expected 3.7% YoY and headline inflation at 3.1% versus an expected 2.9%.
Interestingly, U.S. Treasury yields edged higher overnight, indicating that markets are positioning themselves for the potential impact of a hawkish print.
That being said, markets will still look hopeful for a mild release that reaffirms market pricing of a full cut by July.
In light of the recent liquidity proposals by APRA, Jim Chalmers has proposed introducing a regulatory grid for the financial sector to streamline implementation.
The aim is to simplify business operations in the financial sector, promoting transparency, collaboration, and engagement with the private sector.
This is a welcome decision for the banking sector, which is constantly having to digest new laws and regulatory changes.
Chalmers is also looking to introduce a two-board system for the RBA, with one focusing on monetary policy decisions and the other on governance.
While on paper it appears to be a move to introduce more expertise and experience to the board, opposition questions it, accusing Chalmers of aiming to stack the more important monetary policy board with labour-aligned figures.