S&P 500 — US Large Cap Index
FTSE 100 — UK Blue Chips
Euro Stoxx 50 — Eurozone Leaders
DAX 40 — German Equities
CAC 40 — French Market Index
Nikkei 225 — Japan Benchmark
Hang Seng — Hong Kong Index
Shanghai Composite — China Mainland
ASX 200 — Australian Market
TSX Composite — Canada Index
Nifty 50 — India Large Cap
STI Index — Singapore Market
KOSPI — South Korea Index
Bovespa — Brazil Equities
JSE Top 40 — South Africa Index
IPC Index — Mexico MarketJapan’s 10-year government bond yield held steady around 2.25% on Wednesday, remaining range-bound for the past two weeks as investors prepared for this weekend’s snap lower house election. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s ruling LDP is expected to gain more seats in the national election as she seeks voter backing for increased spending, tax cuts and a new security strategy. Japanese bonds and the yen have come under pressure since Takaichi took office as she pushes for expansionary fiscal policies, raising concerns about Japan’s fiscal outlook on fears of debt-funded spending. Meanwhile, an auction of Japan’s 10-year bonds this week showed softer demand on election jitters. The sale produced an average yield of 2.249%, sharply higher than the 2.095% recorded at the previous auction. The bid-to-cover ratio stood at 3.02, below both last month’s level and the 12-month average.
