The world’s major central banks aren’t purchasing debt fast enough, leaving almost $1 trillion of new sovereign bonds looking for buyers in the months ahead. The flood of fresh debt, sold by governments to fund pandemic-rescue packages, threatens to dwarf central-bank buying and swamp markets in many countries, according to Bloomberg calculations. By contrast, most of Europe is set to benefit from the European Central Bank’s purchases and may offer the best shelter for investors worried about a potential surge in bond yields.
The Treasuries market alone could see more than $1 trillion in net bond supply in the six months through Dec. 31, and strategists are predicting sales will comprise fewer bills and more longer-dated notes.
So far, domestic buyers have supported U.S. debt. But some of the market’s most loyal investors appear to be stepping away just when they’re needed most. Pension funds typically buy Treasuries to match their long-term liabilities, yet a proxy for their purchases of longer-maturity bonds — holdings of so-called stripped Treasuries — has fallen consistently since February.
With Senator Schumer (D-NY), Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Presidential hopeful Joe Biden (D-DE) all screaming for trillions in spending, this will only get worse.
