US Treasury yields steady ahead of Federal Reserve meeting

At around 2:19 p.m. ET, the yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury notewas slipped to 2.08%, while the yield on the 30-year Treasury bond dipped to 2.577%.

Market focus began the week centered on the Fed’s upcoming policy decision and public comments, with many expecting the U.S. central bank to hold its overnight lending rate steady ahead of a cut in July. Lackluster inflation, modest economic growth expectations and a partial inversion of the yield curve are expected to pressure Chair Jerome Powell and his colleagues toward reducing borrowing costs.

But the timing of any Fed rate cut, the first in more than a decade, remains a matter of debate. While some suspect the Fed to reduce interest rates in June or July after May’s weak jobs data and softer consumer price index print, others are betting it waits until September to consider more data first.

Still, economists believe the Fed to hint at any future plans to reduce ratesthrough the so-called “dot plot,” a chart that anonymously reflect each official’s rate forecast.

Expectations for an upcoming rate cut have kept pressure on yields, with the 2-year Treasury note rate down nearly 40 basis points over the last month to 1.87% from 2.23%. Long-term rates like that of the 10-year Treasury note have touched multiyear lows in recent weeks amid equity volatility and demand for fixed-income assets.