Ian Smith @iankmsmith.ft.com · 30/09/2026“People forget how bids ... can disappear in times of crisis" France has been the worst-hit G7 bond market in the Iran sell-off, as the fiscal hit mixes with rising political risks. As an election looms, asset management giant Vanguard says the worst may not be over as.ft.com/r/14e2137e-a... 2216
Ian Smith @iankmsmith.ft.com · 29/09/2026...and a well-timed debt auction reminds of the stakes www.ft.com/content/6481...? 052
Ian Smith @iankmsmith.ft.com · 29/09/2026Gilts are having a (relatively) good September, and some investors like what they are hearing from the conf so far... Signalling an end to the triple lock would "send a strong message about being willing to make politically difficult choices", one bond investor told me www.ft.com/content/6481... 165
Ian Smith @iankmsmith.ft.com · 28/09/2026Watch the chancellor addressing the Labour conference on the FT live blog www.ft.com/content/7761... 131
Ian Smith @iankmsmith.ft.com · 28/09/2026a must-read Big Read today from colleagues on Big Tech's big debt binge. www.ft.com/content/00f9... By Euan Healy, @emilydherbert.bsky.social, Michelle Chan 071
Ian Smith @iankmsmith.ft.com · 26/09/2026Today’s international front page The world’s biggest economy is melting its bond market as.ft.com/r/d29b422d-6... 1116
Ian Smith @iankmsmith.ft.com · 24/09/2026Today's UK front page is on the Q of the government's "headroom" against its borrowing limits. This has been eroded for reasons outside the chancellor's control, as the Iran war pushes up global yields. But he faces a question over whether or not to try and build it back close to Reeves' £23.6bn 173
Ian Smith @iankmsmith.ft.com · 23/09/2026le squeeze... OECD warns on rising debt-servicing costs www.ft.com/content/6c13... 141
Ian Smith @iankmsmith.ft.com · 21/09/2026The % of Bills in the overall debt pile is heading towards a quarter in coming years on some Wall St estimates, above an official target and high vs recent history. Analysts say the US is risking a “larger and more volatile” interest bill by issuing so much short-term debt 272
Ian Smith @iankmsmith.ft.com · 18/09/2026as is @tobyn.bsky.social for FT Alphaville from yesterday www.ft.com/content/46e2... 041
Ian Smith @iankmsmith.ft.com · 18/09/2026Today's UK edition leads on what was a big day for the Bank of England as it overhauled its balance sheet, curbed long-dated gilts sales in the process, and gave its starkest warning yet on inflation. Read our story here for the ins and outs www.ft.com/content/44bc... 172
Ian Smith @iankmsmith.ft.com · 17/09/2026in case you missed it, Fed rate rise and presser greeted with stronger dollar and flatter curve Story: Donald Trump fails to bend the Federal Reserve to his will www.ft.com/content/fb8e... As it happened blog: www.ft.com/content/61b5... 2131
Ian Smith @iankmsmith.ft.com · 16/09/2026Feels like the right question. But BoE rate rise expectations have shifted back a bit today... www.ft.com/content/bf02... 000
Ian Smith @iankmsmith.ft.com · 16/09/2026this reminded me of when a taxi driver in Tehran once told me that there was a secret tunnel from the British Embassy to government buildings, as the UK was really running the show 352
Ian Smith @iankmsmith.ft.com · 14/09/2026which would beg the question of what to do with the rump of gilts. Cf this from July with @darama1.bsky.social www.ft.com/content/8e5b... 010
Ian Smith @iankmsmith.ft.com · 11/09/2026Big investors say the signalling around the modest buybacks move "shows some nervousness" on the part of the US government, which is perhaps not what you want to convey www.ft.com/content/dd4c... 051
Ian Smith @iankmsmith.ft.com · 10/09/2026“Bonds are facing a double whammy — oil prices are creeping higher, while US buybacks and growing credibility risks are pushing term premia higher" www.ft.com/content/49e8... 😬 chart by @raydouglas.bsky.social 283
Ian Smith @iankmsmith.ft.com · 10/09/2026$105 oil and broader inflation worries pushing bonds to new worrying levels le spread is widest since 2012 www.ft.com/content/083a... 130
Ian Smith @iankmsmith.ft.com · 10/09/2026Everything is fine and there is no need to worry... (Yields continue to move inversely to prices) Lovely backdrop to ECB day. Follow along on our live blog www.ft.com/content/083a... 4205
Ian Smith @iankmsmith.ft.com · 08/09/2026Our Big Read today is on the $2tn monster — a debt-servicing burden that gobbles up tax revenues and has the power to overwhelm elected leaders. “These massive sovereign debts are having to get refinanced at ever-increasing rates ... Global investors are already starting to get scared.” 13817
Ian Smith @iankmsmith.ft.com · 02/09/2026Simply unacceptable @darama1.bsky.social. I suspect the hand of @katie0martin.ft.com 272
Ian Smith @iankmsmith.ft.com · 14/08/2026file this under "things i wish i hadn't read" www.ft.com/content/45f6... 3123
Ian Smith @iankmsmith.ft.com · 14/08/2026As tech sucks in all the oxygen and attention, are European stock markets being underappreciated? 063
Ian Smith @iankmsmith.ft.com · 14/08/2026Just how cheap is the yen 💹? 300 clicks free as.ft.com/r/c22a8d0a-5... 031
Ian Smith @iankmsmith.ft.com · 12/08/2026that was lovely and weird way to pass an hour, with some kind people sharing their 🕶️ 060
Ian Smith @iankmsmith.ft.com · 07/08/2026was not expecting to find The Devil Wears Prada 2 so triggering 1985
Ian Smith @iankmsmith.ft.com · 07/08/2026need to watch it again, great/strange film (also is it just me but it kinda looks like a picture caption not a byline) 161
Ian Smith @iankmsmith.ft.com · 05/08/2026Op-ed from Barry Eichengreen that leans on the $ implications www.ft.com/content/86db... 142
Ian Smith @iankmsmith.ft.com · 05/08/2026Top-drawer Unhedged newsletter on whither QT by @darama1.bsky.social www.ft.com/content/8bbc... (£, but not as costly as QT) 060