German bunds nearly flat ahead of ECB policy decision

The German bunds traded nearly flat Thursday as investors await the European Central Bank (ECB) monetary policy meeting scheduled to be held on December 8.

The yield on the benchmark 10-year bond, which moves inversely to its price, hovered around 0.34 percent mark, the yield on long-term 30-year note remained steady at 1.02 percent and the yield on short-term 2-year bond stood flat at -0.67 percent by 08:40 GMT.

The European Central Bank is expected to announce a six-month extension to its quantitative easing program next week, according to a majority of economists polled by Reuters, who also expect the bank to keep the size of its monthly asset purchases unchanged.

Today's ECB meeting will be decisive, and in particular whether or not its QE programme is extended at the current 80 billion Euros a month pace for another six months. That is the general expectation but the risks are all on the side of a disappointment – i.e. either a tapering, a signal of a reduction of bond purchases in future, or a lack of any specific extension.

Meanwhile, the German stock index DAX Index traded 0.66 percent higher at 11,058 by 08:40 GMT. While at 08:00 GMT, the FxWirePro's Hourly Euro Strength Index remained slightly bullish for a fourth straight day at +86.59 (higher than +75 represents bullish trend).