U.S. Retail Sales fell for a third straight month in February as households cut back on purchases of motor vehicles and other big-ticket items, pointing to a slowdown in economic growth in the first quarter.
Consumer spending, which accounts for more than two-thirds of U.S. GDP, appears to have slowed at the start of the year.
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The combination of weak consumer spending data and global manufacturing data has been enough to see yields run into resistance.
The peak optimism on synchronized global growth and inflation pick-up, now appears to have passed.
With yields moving lower, we’re likely to see a better environment for the yield sensitive sectors. Telecommunications, Utilities, Consumer Staples and Real-Estate.
Some of the local names in these sectors include: SYD, TCL, AGL, GPT, SCG and WFD.
The chart below illustrates the yield on the 30-yr bonds falling relative to the shorter dated 2-yr bonds. This is typical during a period of slower economic growth.
