Market Commentary and Intraday News

Investors buy Treasury bonds after 4-day sell-off

276 days ago

By The Associated Press

U.S. Treasury prices rose slightly Friday as investors sought to capture some of the highest yields in three months.

The price of the 10-year Treasury note climbed 19 cents for every $100 invested. The yield fell to 1.82 percent from 1.84 percent late Thursday. The yield on Thursday was the highest since early May, according to FactSet, a research firm.

The shift into Treasurys came despite strong earnings from Ann Taylor and other retailers. That helped push the Dow Jones industrial average up 25 points to close at 13,275.

Also boosting investor spirits was a report from Conference Board that its index of leading economic indicators rose last month, a sign the economy may be regaining some momentum.

U.S. government bonds tend to rise in price when stocks are falling, not the other way around. Investors see Treasurys as safer than stocks, and often buy them on disappointing corporate and economic news.

The rise in the price of the 10-year note follows four trading days of losses.

The 30-year Treasury bond rose 44 cents for every $100 invested. The yield dropped to 2.93 percent from 2.96 percent late Thursday. The latter yield was also the highest since May.

The yield on the two-year note rose to 0.31 percent from 0.29 percent.

The yield on the three-month Treasury bill was unchanged at 0.08 percent.

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