Yield Curve Flattens As 2-Year Treasury Rate Rises Above 2%


The 2-year Treasury yield is above 2% for the first time in nearly a decade. This rate, which is seen as a key proxy for monetary policy expectations, ticked up to 2.03% on Tuesday (Jan. 16), based on daily data via Treasury.gov. The increase, coupled with a fractional dip in the benchmark 10-year Treasury yield to 2.54%, squeezed the widely followed spread 10-year/2-year spread to 51 basis points, matching the low reached last month that marks the smallest difference since 2007.

The futures market is currently predicting that the Federal Reserve will keep its target rate unchanged at the current 1.25%-to-1.50% range when policymakers meet on Jan. 31. By contrast, the probability of a rate hike is roughly 74% for the March 21 FOMC meeting, according to CME data this morning.

Some analysts are expecting the 10-year/2-year spread will dip into negative terrain later this year, which is to say that 2-year rate will rise above its 10-year counterpart. BMO’s Ian Lyngen and Aaron Kohli wrote in a report yesterday that “2018 will be the year the curve flattens to inversion,” courtesy of the Fed’s ongoing plan to raise rates.

An inverted yield curve is generally considered a bearish sign for the economy, marking an increase in US recession risk. But economic risk is low at the moment amid solid growth that’s expected to continue for the foreseeable future. For example, the Atlanta Fed’s current estimate for 2017’s report on fourth-quarter GDP that’s due next week calls for a healthy 3.3% rise, slightly above Q3’s 3.2%.

A positive outlook is also the consensus view for major economies around the world. “The global economy is firing on all cylinders,” says Paul Mortimer-Lee, chief market economist at BNP Paribas. As a result, “Treasuries will feel the heat.”

Indeed, a set of moving averages continues to point to rising yields in the near term. For the 2-year yield in particular, the technical profile suggests that the upward bias will roll on.

Reviews

  • Total Score 0%
User rating: 0.00% ( 0
votes )



Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *