Investors in eurozone bond markets stand accused of letting “animal spirits” affect their judgment on the risk of a European debt default, creating a situation where financial markets could force weaker countries into excessive budget cutting.
A senior official at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development criticised the behaviour of some investors that has led to sharp swings in the yields on government bonds issued by Greece, Ireland, Portugal and Spain.
Hans Blommestein, head of bond markets and public debt management at the OECD, told the Financial Times: “The psychology of the markets is very negative and not necessarily based on facts, but rather on animal instincts and spirits that trigger far greater selling in bond markets than is often justified by the data.”