U.S. Treasury yields moved higher on Wednesday as investors weighed escalating tensions in the Middle East and reconsidered the possibility of additional interest rate increases from the Federal Reserve.
The benchmark 10-year Treasury yield gained more than 3 basis points to 4.659%. The 2-year Treasury yield, which is particularly sensitive to expectations for short-term Fed policy, rose by over 4 basis points to 4.304%.
Meanwhile, the yield on the 30-year Treasury bond increased by less than 2 basis points to approximately 5.15%.
One basis point equals 0.01 percentage points. Bond yields move in the opposite direction from bond prices.
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Middle East Tensions and Oil Prices Pressure Bonds
Geopolitical uncertainty remained a major influence on financial markets after the U.S. Central Command carried out an 11th consecutive night of strikes against Iran.
Speaking at an ASEAN foreign ministers’ meeting in the Philippines, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio questioned whether Tehran was approaching peace negotiations seriously. He indicated that the United States remained open to genuine discussions but would take necessary measures to defend its interests and those of its allies if negotiations failed to progress.
The latest escalation also extended the rally in oil prices, which finished Wednesday roughly 3% higher. Rising energy costs can add to inflationary pressure, potentially giving the Federal Reserve more reason to maintain a restrictive monetary policy.
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Markets Reassess the Possibility of a Fed Rate Hike
Expectations for another interest rate increase have strengthened following recent inflation data and the renewed rise in oil prices.
Deutsche Bank strategist Jim Reid noted that the implied probability of a July rate hike had recovered to 26% by Tuesday’s close. That was the highest level since the latest U.S. Consumer Price Index report came in below expectations.
Before the CPI report, the probability had been as high as 45%. It dropped to around 10% following the inflation release before beginning to climb again.
Money markets are now assigning approximately a 34% chance that the Fed will raise rates this month. Traders are also pricing in a 78% probability of at least one quarter-percentage-point increase by the September meeting, according to the CME FedWatch Tool.
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Investors Await the Latest U.S. Economic Data
Attention will now turn to Friday’s preliminary S&P Global U.S. Purchasing Managers’ Index report.
The report tracks activity across the manufacturing and services sectors and could provide additional clues about the health of the U.S. economy. Stronger-than-expected results may reinforce expectations that the Fed has room to keep interest rates elevated or raise them further, while weaker data could reduce the likelihood of additional tightening.
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