NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Treasurys inched up Tuesday as bond investors had little economic news to go on other than a choppy stock market.
What prices are doing: The benchmark 10-year note rose 6/32 to 98-14/32, driving the yield down to 3.82%.
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| Click the chart for the latest yields and prices. |
Bond prices and yields move in opposite directions. The 30-year bond rose 9/32 to 98-3/32, and its yield fell to 4.68%. The 2-year note was flat at 99-29/32 with a 1.06% yield. The 5-year note rose to 99-22/32 and yielded 2.58%.
What's moving the market: Stocks opened lower and then ended the day slightly up, as investors mulled over a mixed earnings report from Alcoa (AA, Fortune 500), the first of many major companies' quarterly earnings reports due out during the next few weeks.
Bond investors are taking their cues from the stock market, and many are in a holding pattern as they await a bonanza of economic reports out on Wednesday, including the Consumer Price Index -- a key indicator of inflation -- and the Federal Reserve's Beige Book. Reports on retail sales and business inventories are also due.
Bond investors will be looking to these reports, as well as earnings, as a barometer of the economic recovery. Reports painting a lackluster picture of the economy's overall health may push the Federal Reserve to continue to keep interest rates at record lows, which would in turn keep the yields down on government bonds.
Lower prices and higher yields early last week lured buyers to bonds, resulting in strong demand during the government's auctions of $82 billion in U.S. debt. Bonds are also seen as a low risk investment during times of economic uncertainty, because they are backed by the U.S. government and considered nearly default-free.
What analysts are saying: "Treasurys are paying close attention to stocks and wondering if stocks are giving up ground here," said Wan-Chong Kung, a senior fund manager with First American Funds. "Sentiment is turning a little bit, and people worry that maybe the stock market is going to run out of steam in the near term. Earnings in the upcoming days may take some chips off the table."
Looking ahead: Wall Street will closely watch earnings from Intel (INTC, Fortune 500) after the close Tuesday, as well as JPMorgan Chase (JPM, Fortune 500) on Wednesday, and Google (GOOG, Fortune 500) and Bank of America (BAC, Fortune 500) later in the week. 
| Overnight Avg Rate | Latest | Change | Last Week |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 yr fixed | 3.80% | 3.88% | |
| 15 yr fixed | 3.20% | 3.23% | |
| 5/1 ARM | 3.84% | 3.88% | |
| 30 yr refi | 3.82% | 3.93% | |
| 15 yr refi | 3.20% | 3.23% |
Today's featured rates:
| Index | Last | Change | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dow | 32,627.97 | -234.33 | -0.71% |
| Nasdaq | 13,215.24 | 99.07 | 0.76% |
| S&P 500 | 3,913.10 | -2.36 | -0.06% |
| Treasuries | 1.73 | 0.00 | 0.12% |
| Company | Price | Change | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ford Motor Co | 8.29 | 0.05 | 0.61% |
| Advanced Micro Devic... | 54.59 | 0.70 | 1.30% |
| Cisco Systems Inc | 47.49 | -2.44 | -4.89% |
| General Electric Co | 13.00 | -0.16 | -1.22% |
| Kraft Heinz Co | 27.84 | -2.20 | -7.32% |
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