Click the chart for more on Treasury prices and yields.
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Treasury prices rose Tuesday for the third straight session, as investors shied away from risky assets following military tensions in Korea and debt problems in Ireland.
Both overseas and U.S. stock markets retreated after an exchange of artillery fire along the disputed border between North and South Korea on Tuesday. Investors had already been worried about Europe's debt problems following a weekend report that Ireland is formally seeking a bailout.
Yields turned sharply lower early Tuesday, regained some losses later in the afternoon, then fell again in late trade after the Federal Reserve released a downgraded outlook for the U.S. economy.
The central bank slashed its forecast for this year and 2011, projecting that it could take several years for the economy to return to health. More than half of the Fed's policymakers thought it would take about 5-6 years for unemployment, growth and inflation to return to more normal levels. Other Fed members warned the full recovery could take even longer than that.
Uncertainty and geopolitical tensions tend to lead investors to plunk their cash in Treasuries, because they're backed by the U.S. government and considered low-risk assets when compared to stocks and other higher-yield investments.
Jitters about the economy often send investors flocking to U.S. government bonds because they are considered low risk in times of uncertainty. Prices rose on the U.S. dollar and gold, also considered safe havens.
What prices are doing: Treasury prices and yields move in opposite directions. The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note fell to 2.76% from 2.81% on Monday. The 30-year bond slid to 4.17% from 4.21%.
Meanwhile, the yield on the 2-year note stayed at 0.45%, and the 5-year note dropped to 1.39%.
Coming up this week: The bond market had been bracing for $99 billion in auctions this week. The Treasury Department's auction of $35 billion of 2-year notes on Monday drew $129 billion in bids.
Tuesday's sale of $35 billion in 5-year notes attracted almost $93 billion in bids.
Wednesday brings a sale of $29 billion in 7-year notes. The bond market will close Thursday for Thanksgiving, with Friday trading ending at 2 p.m. 
| Overnight Avg Rate | Latest | Change | Last Week |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 yr fixed | 3.80% | 3.80% | |
| 15 yr fixed | 3.09% | 3.11% | |
| 5/1 ARM | 2.65% | 2.69% | |
| 30 yr refi | 3.77% | 3.86% | |
| 15 yr refi | 3.09% | 3.21% |
Today's featured rates:
| Index | Last | Change | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dow | 12,454.83 | -74.92 | -0.60% |
| Nasdaq | 2,837.53 | -1.85 | -0.07% |
| S&P 500 | 1,317.82 | -2.86 | -0.22% |
| Treasuries | 1.74 | -0.01 | -0.80% |
| Company | Price | Change | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bank of America Corp... | 7.15 | 0.01 | 0.14% |
| Sprint Nextel Corp | 2.62 | 0.09 | 3.56% |
| Cisco Systems Inc | 16.33 | -0.06 | -0.37% |
| Chesapeake Energy Co... | 15.81 | 0.23 | 1.48% |
| Ford Motor Co | 10.60 | 0.01 | 0.09% |
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