Yields continue to fall

The eight-week downward run in Irish government bond yields continues.  Here are the indicative yields as calculated by Bloomberg and their close yesterday.

• Two-year Irish government bond yield: 5.64%
• Five-year Irish government bond yield: 6.17%
• Nine-year Irish government bond yield: 7.45%

The five-year yield as calculated by Bloomberg is approaching what could be considered sustainable.  In fact both Italy and Spain have been forced to issue bonds at similar rates in the period around Christmas.  Here is an image of the eight-week fall.

Before the current crisis the five-year yield on Irish government bonds was generally between 3.5% and 4.0%.  Last July this yield was over 17% and getting back to anything like normality before the end of the EU/IMF programme seemed like a forlorn hope. 

With the debt mountain we have now accumulated a return to such levels is unlikely.  At best we could probably hope to see yields of 4.5% to 5.0%.

Here are the actual closing prices and yields of outstanding government bonds for trades recorded with the Irish Stock Exchange yesterday.