Quote from mcurto:
The suspicious price activity after GDP can probably be contributed to dealers (Greenwich, Goldman, Citi, etc.) using any uptick or rally in the long end to add to bearish steepening trades and bearish option structures. Have noticed this the last few days, many of the big put positions, like today the March 106-107-108 Put tree in the Tens, 10,000 were bought five minutes before GDP, and another 5,000 were added on our uptick off of the lows. Furthermore, the convexity call buying guys (Countrywide) bailed on some recent call purchases (April 109) before New Home Sales and are only willing now to buy them on fairly big downticks in futures (drop of 5-10 ticks, put it this way, they are not paying up on 30,000 like they did last week). Not to mention the Asian buying seems to have dried up a bit so that main supportive factor is not there. Only bid seemed to be if PIMCO is in lifting offers (doesn't happen that much, but did around 109-10 and again around 108-20 this week) or if oil begans to scream to the upside. It still seems like dealers and the Japanese want to let the long end cheapen up before they come in to buy a huge chunk of the upcoming 10yr and 30yr auctions. Just my opinion.