JGB futures creep higher following gains in U.S. Treasuries

TOKYO, May 1 (IFR) - Japanese government bond futures rose slightly on Thursday, taking their cue from overnight gains in U.S. Treasuries, although a bounce in Tokyo shares capped the advance.

In the cash bond market, superlong JGBs came under mild pressure in the wake of fresh supply.

The Ministry of Finance offered 300 billion yen ($2.94 billion) of off-the-run super long JGBs in a liquidity-enhancing auction.

June 10-year futures rose 0.04 point to 144.96.

The benchmark 10-year bond yield was untraded in the morning session, having closed Wednesday at 0.615 percent.

The 10-year yield has been stuck around 0.6 percent in recent months, its lowest level except for two short periods below that levele in 2003 and 2013, as a result of the Bank of Japan's bond purchases conducted under its easing programme.

The BOJ kept monetary policy unchanged on Wednesday as expected and laid out projections underscoring its conviction that inflation will head steadily towards its 2 percent price target, but Governor Haruhiko Kuroda said he would adjust policy without hesitation if risks emerged.

U.S. Treasuries gained on Wednesday after data showed growth was much weaker than expected in the first quarter. ($1 = 102.1500 Japanese Yen) (Reporting by Masatsugu Hisatsune; Editing by Eric Meijer)

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