JGBs track Treasuries lower, BOJ buying operation limits losses

TOKYO: Japanese government bond prices slipped on Wednesday, following a retreat in U.S. Treasuries, although a regular debt buying operation conducted by the Bank of Japan helped limit losses.

The benchmark 10-year JGB yield and the 20-year yield each rose 0.5 basis point to 0.070 percent and 0.600 percent, respectively.

Immediate market focus was on who U.S. President Donald Trump would pick as the next Federal Reserve chief.

The Treasury 10-year note yield rose to a 5-1/2-month high above 2.40 percent overnight on a media report which suggested that U.S. Senate Republicans favoured Stanford University economist John Taylor, seen as more hawkish relative to other Fed chair candidates.

The BOJ on Wednesday offered to buy 880 billion yen ($7.73 billion) of one- to 40-year JGBs at its regular debt-purchasing operation.