March 23, 2011

Irish Notes Slump, Portugal Bonds Drop as Debt Crisis Deepens

March 23 (Bloomberg) -- Irish two-year notes slumped, leading the bonds of the region’s most-indebted nations lower, on concern a permanent solution to the fiscal crisis will elude European Union leaders meeting at a summit starting tomorrow.

The declines drove the yield on the Irish security to more than 10 percent for the second consecutive day, while the extra yield investors demand to hold the nation’s 10-year bonds instead of German bunds climbed to a record. Portuguese bonds slid as Prime Minister Jose Socrates faces a vote today against his deficit-cutting plan that may spur early elections and the need for an EU bailout.