Euro zone yields nudge lower, focus turns to Fed and ECB

LONDON, Jan 29 (Reuters) – Euro zone bond yields nudged lower in early trade, moving in line with U.S. debt, 유로247주소 as traders caught their breath ahead of the Federal Reserve’s meeting later in the day and European Central Bank’s on Thursday.

Germany’s 10 year yield, the benchmark for the euro zone, was last down 2 basis points at 2.54%, broadly in the middle of its recent range.

The day’s main scheduled macro economic event is the Federal Reserve interest rate decision.

While the decision itself will likely be unremarkable – the Fed is expected to hold rates steady – investors will be watching chair Jerome Powell’s press conference for any sense of how he is processing both Donald Trump’s early economic policies and this week’s tech-led equities selloff.

The latter caused traders to up bets on the scale of Fed easing they expect this year, driving a rally in U.S. and European government bonds on Monday, though they have since steadied.

The 10-year U.S. Treasury yield was last at 4.52%, 3 bps lower on the day.

The ECB is expected to cut interest rates by 25 basis points when it meets on Thursday.

Germany’s rate sensitive two year yield was down 2 bps at 2.25%, and Italy’s 10-year yield was down nearly 4 bps at 3.62%.

The spread between French and German 10 year yields was last 72 bps around its tightest since mid November.

(Reporting by Alun John Editing by Tomasz Janowski)

Panama Canal increases crossings as drought eases

April 15 (Reuters) – The Panama Canal will increase booking slots for its Panamax locks from May 16 due to estimated water levels of the artificial lake which it draws from, the canal authority said on Monday, pointing to an easing of a drought that had caused cuts in daily crossings.

An additional slot will become available in the Neopanamax locks starting in June, according to a statement by the authority.

A total of 24 ships are scheduled to cross daily from May 7 to May 15, a number set to come up to 31 a day starting May 16.

Another ship will be added from June 1, and the number of crossings is set to stand at 32 a day until further notice.

The canal has imposed several restrictions to crossings since 2023, though last month it also bumped up daily crossings.

The need to maintain water levels at the reservoirs feeding into the canal has prevented it from absorbing demand from shippers seeking alternative routes away from the Red Sea, 해외에이전시 where Houthi attackers have blocked the passage of ships in the Suez Canal, the world’s busiest waterway. (Reporting by Valentine Hilaire and Elida Moreno; Editing by Kylie Madry)