India bonds slump after RBI announces open market bond sale

Reuters

Mumbai, Maharashtra, IndiaUpdated: Jul 03, 2017, 04:47 AM IST

The RBI has so far resorted to selling short-end securities through a special scheme to drain out some of the excess cash, a method that was seen as less disruptive. Photograph:(Reuters)

Story highlights

The new 10-year bond jumped as much as 11 basis points to 6.62 per cent in early trade, its highest level since June 7, from its close of 6.51 per cent||The central bank said late on Friday it will sell 100 billion rupees ($1.55 billion) of government bonds on Thursday

Indian government bonds yields rose sharply on Monday after the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) announced an open market sale of debt to remove some of the excess cash left at lenders because of the government's removal of a big part of currency bills last year.

The central bank said late on Friday it will sell 100 billion rupees ($1.55 billion) of government bonds on Thursday.

The new 10-year bond jumped as much as 11 basis points to 6.62 per cent in early trade, its highest level since June 7, from its close of 6.51 pe rcent.

Traders said the timing of the open market sale was a surprise as markets had expected it to happen in August to coincide with the time when the RBI must pay a hefty dividend to the government.

The RBI has so far resorted to selling short-end securities through a special scheme to drain out some of the excess cash, a method that was seen as less disruptive.