Record breaking declines in European bond market for August

Inflation hits 9.1%

Europe’s bond market is on track for its worst month since records began, as the market for high-grade government and corporate debt fell 5.3% in the month to Tuesday 30 August.

The sell-off was widespread across the bloc, with declines in UK, German and French bonds as investors prepared for central banks to toughen its stance on rates. This was the biggest drop in the Bloomberg Pan-European Aggregate Total Return index since it was established in 1999, driven by anxious investor sentiment over further central bank action off the back of surging prices, spurred by Russia's war in Ukraine. Annual inflation across Europe rose to 9.1% this month, according to figures published yesterday (Wednesday 31 August) by Eurostat. Europe posted 8.9% inflation in July, up...