Fixed income

Wagers on aggressive easing by the Fed had been rising in recent days amid debate over whether the central bank should act when it meets next week.

Yields on policy-sensitive two-year Treasuries slid three basis points on Wednesday, while those on 10-year bonds were up by about the same amount.

Yields across maturities rose by three to five basis points as volumes picked up in midday Monday trading in New York.

Investors are set to start the week scrambling to decide if President Joe Biden's decision to end his reelection campaign and endorse Vice President Kamala Harris increases or decreases Donald Trump's chances of regaining power. 

The resilience of the equity market has been underpinned by optimism the economy has withstood the worst of Fed tightening.

Optimism tied to an ebb in inflation was on full display this week in US government debt, with yields across the curve slumping as the data was seen supporting the case for lower borrowing costs as soon as September.

The U.S. 30-year yield reached the highest level in a month on Monday amid predictions that a Trump presidency would lead to higher inflation.

Traders are now betting that may be enough for the Federal Reserve to start cutting interest rates as soon as September.

The move was led by the two-year yield, which at one point fell nearly 8 basis points below 4.69% — short of last week's low 4.65%.

The $39 billion 10-year note sale was awarded at 4.438%, compared with a yield of 4.458% in pre-auction trading at 1 p.m. New York time, the bidding deadline.