France’s 10-year government bond yield has increased to 3.49%, mirroring gains seen across other European bonds, as investor sentiment in Germany and the wider Eurozone showed unexpected improvement. This comes ahead of a significant week for central banks. The US Federal Reserve is anticipated to restart its monetary easing cycle, with a rate cut of at least 25 basis points expected after a nine-month hiatus. In contrast, both the Bank of England and the Bank of Japan are likely to maintain their current interest rates. Recent data from Europe reflects consistent economic growth with manageable risks, while the European Central Bank suggests its period of rate reductions may be nearing completion. Domestically, investors remained relatively indifferent to Fitch’s downgrade of France’s sovereign credit rating over the weekend.