Treasury Yields Drop as US Job Data Sparks Rate Cut Bets

U.S. Treasury prices surged after new data revealed a sharp increase in corporate job cuts and a rise in unemployment claims, stoking expectations that the Federal Reserve will resume cutting interest rates this year.

The rally was most pronounced in short-term bonds, which are highly sensitive to shifts in Fed policy. The move was further supported by a parallel rally in UK government bonds following the Bank of England's divided decision to hold its key interest rate. In a sign of broader market anxiety, U.S. stock futures and Bitcoin also declined.

"We certainly have room to move lower in yields from here," said Gregory Faranello, head of U.S. rates trading and strategy at AmeriVet Securities. "There is no question the job data is on the weaker side."

Labor Market Shows Signs of Weakness

Two key reports on Thursday shifted market sentiment. Yields hit their session lows after the Labor Department reported that initial jobless claims in the last week of January climbed more than economists had predicted.

This followed a report from outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas Inc., which showed that U.S. companies announced the most job cuts for any January since the 2009 recession.

Ian Lyngen, head of rates strategy at BMO Capital Markets Corp., noted that the data "has shifted the tone in the market and dimmed expectations for next week's official payrolls print." The government shutdown has delayed the official January jobs report to February 11 and the Consumer Price Index (CPI) report to February 13.

Fed Rate Cut Expectations Intensify

The weak employment figures are causing traders to increase their bets on Fed action. Short-term interest rate contracts now reflect higher odds that the central bank will cut rates by its July meeting. The Fed had previously paused its rate-cutting cycle, citing signs of stability in the labor market.

By July, it is also expected that Kevin Warsh, President Trump's nominee to replace Jerome Powell as Fed chair, will have taken office.

However, some analysts believe the Fed may be forced to act sooner. "If the labor market continues to weaken, the Fed will cut before the July meeting that's now priced in," said Win Thin, chief economist at Bank of Nassau 1982. The drop in U.S. stock index futures added to the safe-haven demand for bonds, while two-year UK government bond yields fell by approximately eight basis points after the Bank of England's announcement.