Treasuries are forecast to decline during the first half of 2016, with yield increases moderated on speculation the Federal Reserve's monetary-policy normalization will prove more gradual than central bank officials foresee.

The median estimate of strategists and economists surveyed by Bloomberg shows the 10-year Treasury note yield rising to 2.55 percent in six months, from its 2.27 percent level Thursday. The yield on the two-year note, the shorter-maturity security more closely tied to the outlook for Fed policy, will rise to 1.33 percent by the end of June, which would be the highest since 2008, from 1.05 percent, forecasters say.

"You have a Fed that will slowly raise rates, with the market still taking the under with really how fast the Fed can lift them," said Scott Buchta, the head of fixed-income strategy at Brean Capital in New York and a nearly three-decade bond-market veteran. Traders "still see a lot of different headwinds from the tax and regulatory side, wage growth that really hasn't been there yet and slack still in the labor force."

Complete your profile to continue reading and get FREE access to Treasury & Risk, part of your ALM digital membership.

  • Critical Treasury & Risk information including in-depth analysis of treasury and finance best practices, case studies with corporate innovators, informative newsletters, educational webcasts and videos, and resources from industry leaders.
  • Exclusive discounts on ALM and Treasury & Risk events.
  • Access to other award-winning ALM websites including PropertyCasualty360.com and Law.com.
NOT FOR REPRINT

© 2024 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.