JCB find the YieldReport to be an invaluable summary of all debt market activity. Whilst we are focussed on the highest grade bonds it is important to see what is..Angus Coote, Executive Director, JCB Active Bond Fund
Summary:
A relatively quiet week on TDs – the heavy lifting was done last week when the Majors reset to the interest orthodoxy (conveniently for them). This week we note the following:
The highest term deposit rate at NAB is now 4.60% p.a. for eight months after a 0.15% cut. NAB has cut rates on its range of term deposits by up to 0.20%. The new top rate at NAB is now 4.60% p.a., joint lowest of the big four. Move no surprise as NAB economists see an RBA rate cut next week. That’s now 20 basis points behind Westpac’s top rate of 4.80% p.a. and 15 bps short of the 4.75% p.a. available at ANZ, both also on eight-month terms.
However these banks are yet to cut, and all majors tend to follow each other on the term deposit merry-go-round. NAB follows the lead of CommBank after Australia’s biggest bank cut TD rates last week, also to a new top rate of 4.60% p.a. The major banks have generally lagged behind smaller outfits on TD rates over the past couple of years, and there are still several products out there offering 5% p.a. or more.