Biden Administration Weighs Larger Bond Buybacks Amid Middle East Tensions
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said last week that the government could increase bond buybacks beyond $4 billion. This comes after the department unveiled plans to double buybacks of longer-dated securities.
The possible move has sparked concerns from some experts, who warn that lower bond yields at the long end won't fix the debt problem and may even make it worse.
However, tensions in the Middle East could boost safe-haven flows, supporting the US dollar. The US threatened to impose severe sanctions against any country or entity maintaining economic ties with Iran, prompting Tehran to vow retaliation.
Strategists at Scotiabank note that the recent recovery in yield spreads has provided fundamental support to the Euro, helping to underpin EUR performance. However, they caution that there's little scope for additional near-term strength as spot currently trades with a slight premium to their fair value estimate.