The world’s biggest investors are finding U.S. government bonds becoming safer, not more risky, as the deadline to avoid the first American default approaches.
The yield on 10-year U.S. bonds dropped to a two-month low of 2.58 percent on Oct. 3, after Treasury Secretary Jacob J. Lew said the government won’t be able to pay its debts in 14 days unless Congress raises the $16.7 trillion borrowing ceiling. While short-term bill rates and the cost to insure against a default have risen, volatility in Treasuries has fallen, a sign that investor confidence in the Federal Reserve is outweighing worries over the budget battle among U.S. political leaders.
