GRAPHIC-"Crowded" Treasuries see yields spike after poll reveals scramble
By Ritvik Carvalho
LONDON, March 18 (Reuters) - "If everyone owns it, there's no one left to buy" has long been a financial market truism and that may be partly reflected in the move in U.S. Treasury yields on Wednesday as they hit their highest levels in two weeks.
While a dash for "safety" amid the coronavirus-related economic shock and renewed Federal Reserve bond buying explains the recent scramble for T-bonds, Wednesday's sudden reversal came after a closely watched investor survey by Bank of America indicated demand for Treasuries was the "most crowded trade".
The same trade had previously spent five months - June to October 2019 - as the survey's "most crowded trade" amid the U.S.-China trade standoff.
The publication of the survey came on the back of a blistering rally in global bonds driven by fears of the coronavirus pandemic, one which took U.S. Treasury yields to record lows below 1%.
Yields have quickly snapped back higher as the prospect of "helicopter money" grows, with governments proposing unprecedented stimulus programmes to protect against the economic shock.
Assets occupying the "most-crowded" trade question on the BAML survey have previously unravelled - notably, Bitcoin in late 2017 and short volatility bets in early 2018.
(Reporting by Ritvik Carvalho Editing by Mark Heinrich)