German government bonds rose as concern deepened that European banks will need more funds and some euro-region nations may struggle to finance their deficits, boosting demand for the safest assets.
Bunds also advanced on speculation that fixed-income money managers will need to add securities before the month's end to adjust to changes in indexes they use to measure performance.
Belgian bonds outperformed benchmark German debt as the nation sold €2.3 billion of securities today.
The 10-year bund yield fell 6 basis points to 2.28 per cent as of 2.24pm in London. The 2.25 per cent security maturing in September 2020 rose 0.56, or €5.60 per €1,000 face amount, to 99.70.
The two-year yield slipped 1 basis point to 0.72 per cent, narrowing the difference in yield with 10-year securities 4 basis points to 157 basis points, the least since August 31st, based on closing prices.
Investors are shunning the debt of so-called peripheral nations in favour of the safest fixed-income assets on concern political opposition and a slower economic recovery may dent efforts to rein in budget deficits.
The yield premium investors demand for Irish 10-year bonds instead of bunds reached a record, while the yield spread also widened for Portuguese securities.
"We still have some ongoing concerns about debt in the peripherals and this is likely to add support for core government bonds," said Patrick Jacq, a senior fixed-income strategist at BNP Paribas SA in Paris. "In the euro zone we will have month-end index extensions, and this is providing additional support."
The European Central Bank considered activating the euro region's rescue fund to assist the nation in refinancing debt, German newspaper Handelsblatt reported, citing unidentified government officials.
Portugal's government should be ready to take new measures to cut the nation's deficit as an increase in borrowing costs may undermine the economic recovery, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development said in a report today.
The 10-year Portuguese bond yield rose 2 basis points to 6.50 per cent, sending the difference in yield, or spread, to bunds to 413 basis points. It reached 420 basis points on September 24th. The Irish 10-year yield was 8 basis points higher at 6.70 per cent, with the yield spread at a record 431 basis points.
Spain's finance ministry said today the nation's budget deficit narrowed to 3.3 per cent of gross domestic product compared with 5.7 per cent a year earlier.
Belgian 10-year bonds rose, with the yield falling 11 basis points, to 3.15 per cent, narrowing the premium investors demand to hold the securities instead of benchmark bunds 5 basis points to 85 basis points. The nation, which has had a caretaker government since an inconclusive election in June, auctioned bonds maturing in 2016, 2020 and 2041. The sale drew bids for 2.55 times the amount of 2020 securities sold, compared with a bid-to-cover ratio of 1.84 times at the previous sale.
Italy sold €3 billion of zero-coupon bonds due in 2012 today. The 10-year yield fell 3 basis points to 3.91 per cent.
Bloomberg