[MARKET ANALYSIS] Mixed trade for fixed paper, Gilts lead following steady UK inflation which ease hawkish fears

Global fixed benchmarks are mixed, with USTs flat whilst Bunds and Gilts gain; the latter outperforms after the UK’s inflation held steady in May. Geopolitical updates have been lacking today, with all eyes on the US-Iran deal signing on Friday. Nonetheless, risks remain given mixed reporting surrounding fees/tolls for ships traversing the Strait, whilst Israel continues to strike Lebanon.
USTs (U/C) hold steady within a 109-26+ to 109-30+ range. Markets are ultimately on tenterhooks ahead of the Fed policy announcement, which will see the debut of Kevin Warsh as Chair. Policy rates are expected to remain unchanged, so focus will be on whether the easing bias will be removed from the statement. Dot plots are seen to show higher inflation and a more cautious policy path, with the new Chair interestingly not expected to publish a personal dot plot. At the presser, traders will eye whether he attempts to push a dovish agenda and how he contrasts to his fellow board members. From a yield point, Warsh will be eyed for any hints to his thinking on the Fed balance sheet; should markets be guided to faster unwinding of the Fed’s balance sheet, a steeper curve could be expected.
Bunds (+20 ticks) trade firmer this morning, benefiting from lower energy prices and in continuation of the action seen in the past couple of days. Domestically, the release of the ECB Wage Tracker had little impact on German paper, where the 2026 quarterly figure rose slightly from the prior. Focus ahead turns to the EZ Final Inflation metrics for May, which are expected to remain unrevised. From a yield perspective, the German 10yr has now slipped below the 3.00% mark (current 2.93%), and now approaching levels not seen since early April.
Gilts (+55 ticks) outperform vs peers following the region’s inflation report. In brief, a cooler-than-expected print on both a headline and core basis. A series that reduces the odds of a hawkish surprise at the June BoE. However, the as-expected/slightly-hotter (depending on the consensus provider) services figure will be a point of concern for policymakers and may well be enough to keep some dissenters in play, even given the significant energy benchmark moderation in recent days. The report will not have any impact on the policy decision at Thursday's meeting (BoE to hold), but could push the vote split a bit more dovish vs consensus; analysts saw a range between 8-1 to 6-3 before the inflation print and recent energy moderation on US-Iran progress.