Treasury bonds

The US bond market is starting to get some relief, with long-maturity yields falling on Wednesday after Trump indicated a willingness to strike a trade deal with China.

Moody's Corp., a company that grades bonds and analyzes corporations' financial performance, said it expects to earn less this year than it had previously forecast.

In a sign of how Treasuries' status as a global haven during times of turmoil may be fading, rates on longer-term debt soared last week as equities convulsed, turbocharging bets on a steeper yield curve.

President Donald Trump unleashes an all-out assault on global trade, the status of Treasury bonds as the world's safe haven is increasingly coming into question.

Pres. Trump's decision to pause most of the tariffs has sparked a rally in the stock market, but the 10-year yield, while off of its peak, remains higher.

A pullback from US Treasuries sent longer-term yields surging by the most since pandemic struck in 2020, deepening losses in what's supposed to be a haven from financial turmoil and roiling markets abroad as investors sell government bonds to raise cash.

Treasuries surged and investors boosted their bets on Federal Reserve interest-rate cuts Monday as fear of a economic slowdown took hold across US markets.

The advances pushed the yield on three- to 10-year yields lower by 10 basis points on Monday, with the moves accelerating as US equities sold off.

Traders added to bets on interest-rate cuts from the Federal Reserve amid concern about the impact of US trade tariffs on global economic growth. 

"Red flags are emerging for the US economy," said Elias Haddad, senior market strategist at Brown Brothers Harriman. "Another month or two of poor US economic data would deliver a blow to the US exceptionalism narrative."