Treasury Bonds Yield Is Quarter Point From Record Low
Treasury yields were within a quarter percentage point of the record low on speculation reports this week will show the U.S. labor market is deteriorating, raising the odds the Federal Reserve will increase its bond purchases.
http://mobile.bloomberg.com/news/201...ecord-low.html
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Shorting Bonds Is Still The Trade Of The Decade
DOUG KASS: Shorting Bonds Is Still The Trade Of The Decade
Treasury yields are near all-time lows, and the Federal Reserve continues to reiterate its commitment to keep rates low for a long time.
However, Doug Kass of Seabreeze Partners remains convinced that rates will soon rise, which means bond prices will fall.
"I maintain the view that shorting the U.S. fixed-income market is still the trade of the decade," writes Kass in a new post for RealMoneyPro.
"And, despite the known headwinds of slowing domestic and non-U.S. economic growth and the threat of the fiscal cliff, I now believe that the potential exists for bonds to experience pricing pressure (and an increase in bond yields) over the near term. "
He provides eight reasons for his ongoing bearish call on Treasuries. Here are three big ones:
QE3 is designed to target mortgages, not Treasuries.
If the Fed doesn't extend Operation Twist at the end of the year, there will be extra slack in the Treasury market.
China is slowing and is less likely to be a big buyer of U.S. Treasuries.
This is a position he discussed at great length in a big presentation at May's Value Investing Conference in Omaha, Nebraska. According to Market Folly, Kass identified seven key factors that could be "disruptive to the bond market": 1) "the flight to safety premium erodes;" 2) "a muddle through economy might gain speed in the years ahead as domestic growth moves toward potential;" 3) "Federal Reserve policy is likely on hold—natural price discovery in fixed income;" 4) "inflation on the ascent;" 5) "housing is embarking on a durable multi-year recovery;" 6) "stocks versus bonds—the approaching reallocation trade;" and 7) "U.S. fiscal imbalances are not being addressed."
In a series of charts and data tables, he demonstrates how these factors create a huge opportunity for investors willing to go against the grain.
http://www.businessinsider.com/doug-...e-2012-10?op=1
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TREASURIES-Prices plunge as Fed pushes buyers out of bonds