PWLB briefing

End of Day Wrap-Up

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UK gilt yields rose sharply across the curve today, resulting in a modest increase in PWLB rates at all maturities.

GILT MOVE SUMMARY

  • 2y: 4.39% (+4bp) — front-end rose, but less than long end.
  • 5y: 4.58% (+7bp) — belly saw a notable increase.
  • 10y: 5.03% (+7bp) — parallel move with 5y, maintaining curve steepness.
  • 30y: 5.75% (+9bp) — long end led the sell-off.

PWLB CLOSE SNAPSHOT

Tenor Rate Change
1y 5.18% +1bp
5y 5.56% +1bp
10y 6.02% +1bp
25y 6.62% +1bp
50y 6.43% +1bp

WHAT DROVE TODAY

There were no UK economic data releases today. The gilt sell-off was driven by political headlines, notably comments from Prime Minister Andy Burnham about seeking “any flexibility” in fiscal rules, which raised concerns about increased government borrowing. Additionally, renewed inflation fears linked to higher oil and fuel prices amid ongoing Middle East tensions contributed to the upward pressure on yields. No other domestic or global data releases were reported as direct drivers.

WHAT THIS MEANS

  • PWLB rates ended the day up by +1bp across all maturities, reflecting the parallel move in gilts.
  • The increase was most pronounced in long-dated gilts, but the PWLB curve moved uniformly.
  • Borrowing costs for local authorities are marginally higher than Friday, with no intraday volatility in PWLB settings.

NEXT ON THE DIARY

  • Tue 07:00 — UK Unemployment Rate (Forecast: 4.90%)
  • Tue 07:00 — UK Employment Change (Forecast: 70K)
  • Tue 07:00 — UK Average Earnings incl. Bonus (Forecast: 4.50%)

Markets will be focused on tomorrow’s UK labour market data for further direction.

This commentary is for information only and does not constitute financial advice. Always verify rates directly with PWLB or official sources before making borrowing decisions.

All briefings for 20 July 2026 · July 2026 archive · All PWLB briefings