Key Points
- Investors are dumping long-term government bonds, with the yield on 30-year Treasuries rising to 5.13%.
- Sovereign bonds across the UK, the EU, and Japan are all affected by the sell-off.
- The S&P 500 and the Dow retreated on Friday by 1.2% and 1.1%, respectively.
- Gold and silver fell steeply.
- Copper, Lithium, critical materials, and uranium are also experiencing a sell-off.
- President Trump hinted at another major strike on Iran, with his Sunday “The Clock is Ticking” post on Truth Social.
- Brent futures jumped to above $111 per barrel early Monday.
Investors are dumping long-term government bonds. The 30-year Treasury yield broke resistance at 5.0%, rising to 5.13% on Friday before easing slightly to 5.12% early Monday.
High bond yields, above the rate of inflation, increase the risk of a solvency crisis where the borrower can’t meet its interest payments. Issuing new debt to cover interest payments accelerates debt growth, causing debt-to-GDP to spiral out of control.
UK Gilts 30-year yield jumped to 5.85%.
The French 30-year climbed to 4.67%.
Italian 30-year yields are at 4.75%.
France and Italy have higher debt-to-GDP ratios than the UK. The primary reason they enjoy lower yields is that their long-term yields are suppressed. The Bank of England, on the other hand, is shrinking its balance sheet to restore fiscal stability.
The yield on the 30-year German Bund is even lower because of Germany’s strong fiscal position, with much lower debt levels.
The Japanese 30-year yield is shooting upwards. JGB yields should be much higher because of Japan’s precarious debt-to-GDP ratio. However, the Bank of Japan buys government bonds (JGBs) to suppress the yield and avoid a solvency crisis.
Adding to the selloff on Monday was news that Japan’s government will likely issue fresh debt as part of funding for a planned extra budget to cushion the economic blow from the war, worsening already strained government finances. Yields on the 30-year Japanese government bond (JGB) jumped more than 10 bps to their highest on record at 4.200% while the 10-year yield touched its highest since October 1996 at 2.800%. (Reuters)
The yield on the 30-year JGB has since weakened slightly to 4.10%.
The chart below, by Robin Brooks, compares long-term government bond yields (on the left axis) to countries’ debt-to-GDP ratios (on the bottom axis). Yields in Japan (JP), Greece (GR), and Italy (IT) are being suppressed, while yields in Australia (AU), New Zealand (NZ), and the UK (GB) are higher due to more conservative central bank policies.
Why are Long-term Yields Rising?
There are several overlapping reasons why long-term yields are rising:
Increased defense spending expands government deficits and raises debt-to-GDP ratios, increasing the risk of fiscal dominance.
Fiscal dominance is where the central bank prioritizes bond market stability over currency stability, lowering interest rates while tolerating higher inflation, to prevent a solvency crisis in the bond market.
The US-Iran conflict has caused oil shortages, driving crude oil prices higher. High oil prices are fueling a steep rise in inflation, increasing the risk of capital erosion for bond investors.
The US Fed has entered into a $100 billion currency swap agreement with the United Arab Emirates. The facility will help the UAE to survive the loss of oil revenues while the Strait of Hormuz is closed. Further currency swaps with other Gulf States will likely follow. The currency swaps are effectively a medium-term loan from the Fed, but risk becoming a standing facility if the conflict in the Gulf is not quickly resolved. Their primary purpose is to avoid the Gulf States selling reserves to make up for lost oil revenue. The sell-off of hundreds of billions of US Treasuries would flood the market and drive up yields.
The AI boom has driven a massive surge in capital spending by mega-cap technology companies as they vie for market share in a rapidly expanding market. Much of the capital spending is funded through long-term debt issuance, leading to a steep increase in the supply of high-quality long-term debt.
US-Iran Conflict
President Donald Trump on Sunday again threatened Iran:
“For Iran, the Clock is Ticking, and they better get moving, FAST, or there won’t be anything left of them,” Trump said in a Truth Social post. “TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE!” (CNBC)
Trump’s post caused a sharp jump in Brent crude futures prices when the market opened on Monday.
Stocks & Financial Markets
The S&P 500 retreated below 7500, falling 1.2% on Friday.
The Dow similarly retreated below 50,000, falling 1.1%. A decline below support at 49,000 would signal a correction.
Bitcoin1 retreated below support at 80,000, warning of further market risk aversion.
10-year Treasury yields jumped to 4.6%. The breakout above 4.5% offers a short-term target of 4.75%. Rising Trend Index troughs indicate strong upward pressure on long-term yields.
Dollar & Gold
A Dollar shortage is driving up the US Dollar Index as global markets struggle with crude oil shortages and rising prices, a fiscal crisis among Gulf States that have lost their primary source of revenue, and lower US trade deficits.
The Dollar enjoyed similar strong demand after Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, followed by a steep fall in November, when energy markets had stabilized.
Gold is testing support at 4500. A breach of 4400 would signal a test of 4000, but respect of support remains more likely.
In 2022, Gold initially shot up after Russia’s 24 February invasion of Ukraine, but then declined for 6 months until energy markets stabilized and the Dollar weakened.
Silver fell steeply last week and is headed for a test of support at 71.
Energy
Brent crude continues its uptrend, and another test of resistance at $120 per barrel is likely.
The Dow Jones Global Oil & Gas Index respected support at 580, headed for a test of resistance at 620. Trend Index troughs above zero signal buying pressure.
Uranium
Uranium is taking a beating, with the Sprott Uranium Miners ETF2 (URNM) breaking secondary support at 64. A breach of support at 58 would signal a primary downtrend.
Lithium
All strategic materials are under pressure, even Lithium, which has enjoyed strong demand from booming EV sales. Sprott Lithium Miners ETF2 (LITP) broke its new support level at 16.50. Follow through below 15 would signal a correction.
Critical Minerals
Critical materials show similar selling pressure, with Sprott Critical Materials ETF2 (SETM) testing support at 35.50, while a lower Trend Index peak warns of selling pressure.
Copper
Copper retreated below 14,000 after a strong run-up.
Sprott Copper Miners ETF2 (COPP) reflects similar selling pressure, breaking initial support at 42, while a lower Trend Index peak signals selling pressure.
Conclusion
We expect a similar playbook to 2022, after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine: rising energy prices, followed by rising long-term bond prices, and a stronger Dollar.
The S&P 500 suffered a 26% drawdown in 2022, and stock prices will likely weaken, though partly cushioned by the AI boom. We also expect weakness in Gold, Silver, and strategic materials like Uranium, Lithium, Critical Minerals, and Copper — until energy markets stabilize.
Acknowledgments
- CoinDesk: Bitcoin
- Federal Reserve of St Louis: FRED Data
- CNBC: Brent Crude ICE May’26 Futures
- CNBC: Government Bond Yields
Notes
- Cryptocurrencies are the highest-risk asset class, and we analyze Bitcoin (BTC) solely to identify risk sentiment in financial markets. Our analysis is not a recommendation to buy or sell BTC, nor is it a commentary on the merits of cryptocurrency.
- We analyze exchange-traded funds (ETFs) to determine market sentiment towards a specific sector, industry, or commodity. The analysis is not a recommendation to buy or sell, nor is it a commentary on the merits of the particular ETF.
Colin Twiggs is a former investment banker with almost 40 years of experience in financial markets. He co-founded Incredible Charts and writes the popular Trading Diary and Patient Investor newsletters.
Using a top-down approach, Colin identifies key macro trends in the global economy before evaluating selected opportunities using a combination of fundamental and technical analysis.
Focusing on interest rates and financial market liquidity as primary drivers of the economic cycle, he warned of the 2008/2009 and 2020 bear markets well ahead of actual events.
He founded PVT Capital (AFSL No. 546090) in May 2023, which offers investment strategy and advice to wholesale clients.
