Yield curve turns upside down in major warning

A KEY warning sign of looming financial disaster was flashing red today as nervy investors bought heavily into long-term dated government debt.

- Simon English

Yields on UK gilts have been moving higher for weeks, a sign that investors expect a higher rate of return for lending to the Government.

Last night and again today the so-called yield curve inverted, with twoyear government gilts paying 3.21% and a 10-year bond paying less, at 2.97%.

In normal times, the longer-dated bonds would pay more than the twoyear deals, but at the moment investors are happy to take less interest in return for security.

The yield curve inverted in this way just before the 2008 financial crash, as investors who saw that trouble was coming parked money with the government for the long-term.