LONDON: German government bonds inched higher on Friday with concerns over Greece's debt sustainability and the looming "fiscal cliff" in the US keeping investors in a risk-averse mood.
December Bund futures rose 16 ticks to 143.29, holding within sight of Tuesday's two-month high of 143.48.
"Greece, Spain, the US, it's the same themes but no developments, people stay risk averse and the market moves sideways," a trader said.
There were further signs of the divide between the European Union and International Monetary Fund over Greece with the EU's top economic official seeking to rule out any write-off of Greece's debt to governments, something the IMF argues is necessary to put the country on a sustainable financial path .
The spat has delayed the release of 31 billion euros of emergency loans needed to keep Athens afloat.
The start of budget talks in the US, with fears of a protracted stand-off in negotiations to avoid some of the $600 billion of spending cuts and tax hikes that kick-in in January, is also seeing investors prefer lower-risk assets.
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