Treasurys slip after Fed announcement

By Annalyn Censky, staff reporter


NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Treasurys fell Wednesday, after a government auction drew moderate demand and the Federal Reserve announced it will leave interest rates unchanged for an "extended period."

What prices are doing: The benchmark 10-year note fell 17/32 to 98-29/32, pushing the yield up to 3.76%. Bond prices and yields move in opposite directions.

The 30-year bond slipped 23/32 to 100, and its yield rose to 4.63%.The 2-year note shed 5/32 to 99-30/32 with a 1.04% yield. The 5-year note was down 11/32 to 100 with a yield of 2.5%.

What's moving the market: The Treasury Department's auction of $42 billion in 5-year notes Wednesday drew healthy demand, with investors submitting $116 billion in bids. The government is also set to auction $32 billion of 7-year notes on Thursday.

Investors were cautious ahead of the Federal Reserve announcement, which in the end, brought few surprises. The central bank said it will keep its near-zero interest rates for an "extended period." Traders were anxious to see whether the Fed would change this language.

Bonds also traded lower as some investors took profits from a rally in prices the day before. U.S. Treasurys jumped Tuesday after credit rating agency S&P downgraded Greece's debt to junk status and cut Portugal's credit rating down two notches. The yield on the 10-year Greek bond soared to record highs, on par with third world countries, a day after the news. The news led the dollar to gain against the euro and increased the safe-haven appeal of U.S. Treasurys.

What analysts are saying: "Trust me, the Treasury market is not selling off because Greece has figured out a way to pay its maturing debt or the European Union/IMF has come rushing in with a plan," Kevin Giddis, president of fixed-income markets at Morgan Keegan said in an e-mail to investors Wednesday.

"The Treasury market is trading lower this morning as investors give back a little, mostly through profit taking and auction 'set-up,'" he said. To top of page

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