BOND REPORT: Treasurys See Modest Buying As Investors Await Fed Minutes

Treasury prices fell, pushing yields higher, on Tuesday as investors braced for the Fed minutes from September's policy meeting on Wednesday.

What are government bonds doing?

The 10-year Treasury note yield slipped to 2.357% from 2.370% on late Friday in New York. The 2-year Treasury note yield was down to 1.508% from 1.511%, while the 30-year Treasury bond yield fell to 2.893% from 2.907%. Bond prices move in the opposite direction of yields.

Treasurys weren't traded on Monday in observance of Columbus Day (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/columbus-day-which-markets-are-closed-2017-10-09).

What is driving markets?

Traders are pricing in an 87% chance of a quarter-percentage point rate hike by the Federal Reserve when it convenes in December, data from CME Group show (http://www.cmegroup.com/trading/interest-rates/countdown-to-fomc.html). Investors, meanwhile, will await the minutes from the policy setting Federal Open Market Committee's September meeting, where further clues about monetary policy might be gleaned. At the meeting, the majority of its members were in favor of an additional rate hike this year (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/text-of-september-fomc-statement-2017-09-20), according to a plot of policy maker's projections known as the dot plot.

Meanwhile, the Catalan parliament is set to meet on Tuesday (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/a-reprieve-in-spain-catalonia-tensions-gives-investors-a-break-for-now-2017-10-09). If they declare independence, it could lead to a flare-up in regional tensions between the government accused of resorting to heavy-handed tactics and the regional government which has ignored the Spanish constitution.

What do market participants say?

"The FOMC Minutes may offer insight on the Fed's current hawkish policy lean," wrote Aaron Kohli, interest-rate strategist for BMO Capital Markets in Tuesday note. "The minutes will provide an opportunity for a broader range of opinions on the near-term headwinds in the real economy to be voiced."

Which central bankers are on the docket?

What data is on investors' radar?

How are other assets doing?

The dollartipped lower after the euro strengthened from (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/dollar-loses-ground-as-euro-climbs-on-tapering-hopes-2017-10-10) hawkish comments by Lautenschalger. A currency tends to strengthen when expectations for tighter monetary policy grow. Geopolitical tensions between U.S. and North Korea continued to stir up appetite for haven assets, with gold futures (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/gold-rises-on-track-for-longest-string-of-gains-in-5-weeks-2017-10-10) on track for the longest win streak in five weeks and the Japanese yen strengthening.

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

October 10, 2017 10:11 ET (14:11 GMT)