HALISTER1: EU RATES ROUNDUP: Bias Toward Short Spain vs Italy

EU RATES ROUNDUP: Bias Toward Short Spain vs Italy

(Bloomberg) -- Analysts retain bias toward lower bund yields; Citi, BNP and Deutsche Bank all recommend short SPGBs vs Italy, given recent tightening despite political risks.
  • Citi (strategists including Harvinder Sian)
    • Much less long-end supply over near term, Belgium 10s30s is steepest on cross-market basis; recommend long-end flatteners in Belgium
    • Recommend receiving EUR swaps 3Y Fwd 2s5s10s at -5.2bps; motivation is high carry relative to directionality of the trade; use trade to replace 2Y forward starting version
    • Cross-market see scope for BTPs to outperform SPGBs due to the political event risk in Spain vs supportive cash flows for Italy in May
      • BTP/Bono spreads in 8Y-10Y sector have cheapened most; recommend long BTP 09/2024 vs SPGB 04/2024
    • BOE’s ‘appetite’ for a cut vs a hike not as symmetric as is currently priced, continue to expect a steepening in 2s5s GBP
  • RBS (strategists including Andrew Roberts)
    • Semi-core EMU very tight to core, especially compared to periphery, yet very exposed to risk events, start fading
      • France is the most exposed major country if the U.K. votes to leave the EU
    • Still like Spain’s growth fundamentals, expect QE, TLTRO-II flows to be supportive, while problems are fiscal slippage, political uncertainty
    • Look for relative value on the curve, recommend paying belly of 10s15s30s fly, look for 10bps retracement
    • Reiterate GBP 5s30s volatility weighted steepener, looks attractive relative to fair-value, in context of perceived steepening pressures ahead of U.K. referendum on EU membership
  • Barclays (strategists including Cagdas Aksu)
    • Supply/demand picture for bunds nowhere near as poor as April last year; still scope for further short-term bearish price action, despite recent selloff
      • Maintain indirectly bearish trades, short 10Y bunds vs USTs, short bund ASW vs EONIA
    • In EGBs, hold short 50% 7Y Belgium, Ireland vs Netherlands; short 6Y Belgium vs Austria; remain cautious on peripherals
  • Morgan Stanley (strategists including Anton Heese)
    • General message from central banks was that more data is required before acting
      • Remain neutral duration overall, but hold short 10Y bund (RXM6) vs 5Y USTs (FVM6)
    • Continue to recommend long OATs vs BTPs as bond market indicators suggest tactical longs in semi-core vs periphery, reflective of weaker peripheral equities, worsening carry
      • Hold short 10Y BTP (IKM6) vs long OAT (OATM6)
  • SocGen (strategists including Marc-Henri Thoumin)
    • Further rally in bunds should favor a steeper 10s30s in SPGBs given the inverse correlation
      • Long SPGB April 2026 vs SPGB Oct. 2046 at 62bp in ASW; target 69bp, stop 57bp
    • Expect issuance at the very long end to remain intense, at least as long as EUR yields remain close to recent lows: MORE
  • Commerzbank (strategists including Christoph Rieger)
    • Use a rise in 10Y bund yields above 0.25% to scale back into longs with the historically high month-end index extension expected to provide additional support
    • Expect bunds to rise with duration-intensive issuance increasingly recycled and Fed risks receding
    • Curves should remain highly directional, expect 10s30s bund and IRS curves to resume their flattening trend with the bear-steepening/bull-flattening entrenched: MORE
  • BNP (strategists including Patrick Jacq)
    • Rise in yields has already gone far enough, recommend long EUR 10Y via 3-month expiry risk reversals
      • Sell 0.84% (14bps OTM) 3m10Y payer vs buying 0.57% (12bps OTM) receiver at zero cost
    • Spain has outperformed Italy, despite parties failing to form a govt; supply/demand favored SPGBs over BTPs in April, but this will reverse in May
      • Enter SPGB/BTP 10Y wideners at 6bps, target 20bps, stop -2bps: MORE
  • Deutsche Bank (strategists including Francis Yared)
    • Maintain existing macro trades, (tactical) France 10s30s flattener, long 10Y cash breakevens, long EUR 10Y real rate trade vs US, long 10Y UK cash breakevens
    • Recommend short 10Y Spain vs Italy; political situation in Spain resulting in fresh elections on June 26, not obvious polls will help reduce the political uncertainty
  • Danske Bank (strategists including Anders Moller Lumholtz)
    • Close long Spain vs Italy, new general elections in Spain, budget risks, suggest short term risk for SPGB underperformance
    • Ireland continues to keep struggle even though upcoming Brexit referendum leaning in favor of remain; maintain long 10Y Ireland vs France
Alert: HALISTER1
Source: BFW (Bloomberg First Word)

People
Harvinder Sian (Citigroup Inc)
Anders Lumholtz (Danske Bank A/S)
Anders Moeller Lumholtz (Danske Bank A/s)
Andrew Roberts (Royal Bank of Scotland Group PLC)
Anton Heese (Morgan Stanley)

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