Markets

Spain/German yield spread hits widest in euro era

Published July 20, 2012 Updated July 20, 2012 11:50am

The Spanish/German 10-year government bond yield spread rose to 595 basis points versus 582 bps at Thursday's settlement close.

Traders said there were no large selling flows behind the move which was exaggerated by a thin market, but reflected the prevailing view that Spain's banking bailout was just the first step to asking for a full-blown aid package.

Bund futures rose to a session high of 145.65, up half a point on the day, pushing German yields lower and also driving the gap between German and Spanish yields wider.

"There's a bias for safe haven debt in a very thin market, triple-A countries are performing very well," one trader said. "It's a typical Friday move - Don't be short (of Bunds) on a Friday!"

Copyright Reuters, 2012