Treasury Yields Snapshot: March 20, 2026 The yield on the 10-year note finished March 20, 2026 at 4.39% while the 2-year note ended at 3.88%. This is the highest level for each since July 2025. The chart below overlays the daily performance of several Treasury bonds, starting from the pre-recession equity market peaks, along with the Federal Funds Rate (FFR) since 2007. This next table shows the highs and lows of yields and the Federal Funds Rate (FFR) since 2007. A Long-Term Look at the 10-Year Treasury Yi ...

Economic Developments - The U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) grew at an annualized rate of 1.4% in the fourth quarter of 2025, indicating a sharp slowdown in the economy [4] - The Federal Reserve's preferred inflation rate unexpectedly rose, adding to economic concerns [4] Trade and Tariffs - Republican lawmakers oppose President Trump's new 10% global tariff, following a Supreme Court ruling that trade authority rests with lawmakers [2] - The new tariff was imposed after the Supreme Court blocked Trump's previous attempt to justify broad import taxes using emergency powers [2] Market Indicators - U.S. heavy vehicle sales are signaling caution, indicating a potential economic slowdown as fleets halt capital expenditures when nervous about freight demand [3] Housing Market - The White House is intensifying efforts to implement Trump's proposed ban on large-scale home investors, targeting those owning more than 100 single-family homes [5]

Core Insights - The yield on the 10-year Treasury note was 4.22% on February 6, 2026, while the 2-year note was at 3.50% and the 30-year note at 4.85% [1] - An inverted yield curve, where longer-term yields are lower than shorter-term yields, is a reliable leading indicator for recessions, with the 10-2 spread being particularly significant [1] - The average lead time to a recession based on the 10-2 spread is approximately 48 weeks from the first negative spread date, or 18.5 weeks from the last positive spread date [1] Treasury Yields Overview - The long-term view of the 10-year Treasury yield shows significant historical context, starting from 1965 [1] - The 10-2 spread has been continuously negative from July 5, 2022, to August 26, 2024, indicating potential recession signals [1] - The 10-3 month spread also shows similar patterns, with negative periods leading up to recessions [1] Mortgage Rates and Federal Funds Rate - The Federal Funds Rate influences borrowing costs, and recent trends show that mortgage rates have declined despite the Fed's rate-cutting cycle starting in September 2024 [1] - The latest Freddie Mac survey indicates the 30-year fixed mortgage rate at 6.11%, one of the lowest since October 2024 [1] - Fed policy has been a major influence on market behavior, particularly in relation to Treasury yields and mortgage rates [1]

Group 1: Treasury Yields and Economic Indicators - The yield on the 10-year Treasury note was 4.26% as of January 30, 2026, while the 2-year note was at 3.52% and the 30-year note at 4.87% [1] - An inverted yield curve occurs when longer-term Treasury yields are lower than shorter-term yields, with the 10-2 spread being a reliable leading indicator for recessions, typically turning negative before recessions [2] - The average lead time to a recession based on the first negative spread date is approximately 48 weeks, while using the last positive spread date yields an average lead time of 18.5 weeks [4][6] Group 2: Mortgage Rates and Federal Funds Rate - The Federal Funds Rate (FFR) influences borrowing costs for banks, which in turn affects mortgage rates; however, recent trends show mortgage rates declining even as the Fed began a rate-cutting cycle in September 2024 [7] - The latest Freddie Mac Weekly Primary Mortgage Market Survey reported the 30-year fixed mortgage rate at 6.10%, marking one of the lowest levels since October 2024 [7] Group 3: Treasury ETFs - ETFs associated with Treasuries include Vanguard 0-3 Month Treasury Bill ETF (VBIL), Vanguard Intermediate-Term Treasury ETF (VGIT), and Vanguard Long-Term Treasury ETF (VGLT) [9]

Treasury Yields and Economic Indicators - The yield on the 10-year Treasury note was 4.16% as of December 19, 2025, while the 2-year note was at 3.48% and the 30-year note at 4.82% [1] - An inverted yield curve occurs when longer-term Treasury yields are lower than shorter-term yields, with the 10-2 spread being a reliable leading indicator for recessions, typically turning negative before recessions [2][3] - The average lead time to a recession based on the first negative spread date is approximately 48 weeks, while using the last positive spread date yields an average lead time of 18.5 weeks [4][6] Mortgage Rates and Federal Funds Rate - The Federal Funds Rate (FFR) influences borrowing costs for banks, which in turn affects mortgage rates; however, recent trends show mortgage rates declining even as the Fed held rates steady, with the latest 30-year fixed mortgage rate at 6.21% [7] Yield Curve Analysis - The 10-3 month spread also serves as an indicator for recessions, with lead times ranging from 34 to 69 weeks after turning negative, similar to the 10-2 spread [5] - The 10-2 spread was continuously negative from July 5, 2022, to August 26, 2024, indicating potential recession signals [3]

Core Insights - The lack of federal statistics, particularly on employment and unemployment, is creating uncertainty in assessing the labor market and potential recession risks [2][3][4] - The Federal Reserve's decision to reduce rates is driven by concerns over a deteriorating labor market and slow job creation potentially leading to job contraction and recession [2][4] - Current recession indicators are not reliable due to significant fluctuations in labor supply and participation, complicating the interpretation of unemployment rate changes [5][6] Labor Market Analysis - There is a wealth of private sector data and surveys available, but the absence of core federal data limits confidence in labor market assessments [1][2] - The unemployment rate indicator is currently at 0.1%, well below the recession threshold of 0.5%, suggesting that the economy is not in a recession based on this metric [6] - Changes in labor supply, particularly due to immigration and labor force participation, have historically influenced unemployment rates, making it difficult to draw conclusions about recession status [5][6]

Group 1: Treasury Yields Overview - The yield on the 10-year Treasury note ended at 4.14% on September 19, 2025, while the 2-year note was at 3.57% and the 30-year note at 4.75% [1] - A long-term view of the 10-year yield shows significant historical context, starting from 1965, highlighting the impact of events like the 1973 oil embargo [2] - The inverted yield curve, where longer-term yields are lower than shorter-term ones, is a reliable leading indicator for recessions, with the 10-2 spread turning negative before recessions [2][3] Group 2: Recession Indicators - The average lead time to a recession based on the first negative spread date is approximately 48 weeks, while using the last positive spread date yields an average of 18.5 weeks [4][6] - The 10-3 month spread also indicates a lead time to recessions ranging from 34 to 69 weeks, with similar patterns observed as in the 10-2 spread [5] - The most recent negative spread for the 10-2 occurred from July 5, 2022, to August 26, 2024, while the 10-3 month spread was negative from October 25, 2022, to December 12, 2024 [3][5] Group 3: Mortgage Rates and Federal Funds Rate - The Federal Funds Rate influences borrowing costs for banks, which typically leads to higher mortgage rates when the FFR increases; however, recent trends show mortgage rates declining despite steady FFR [7] - The latest Freddie Mac survey reported the 30-year fixed mortgage rate at 6.35%, the lowest since October 2024 [7] Group 4: Market Behavior and Federal Reserve Influence - Federal Reserve policy has significantly influenced market behavior, particularly in relation to Treasury yields and the S&P 500 [8] - ETFs associated with Treasuries include Vanguard 0-3 Month Treasury Bill ETF (VBIL), Vanguard Intermediate-Term Treasury ETF (VGIT), and Vanguard Long-Term Treasury ETF (VGLT) [9]

Group 1: Initial Jobless Claims - Initial jobless claims for the week ending September 6th reached a seasonally adjusted level of 263,000, marking the highest level in nearly four years and an increase of 27,000 from the previous week, which is the largest weekly jump since last October [1] - The latest initial claims figure significantly exceeded the forecast of 235,000, indicating a potential shift in the labor market [1] - The four-week moving average of initial claims currently stands at 240,500, reflecting an increase of 9,750 from the previous week, which provides a smoother view of the overall trend [2] Group 2: Continuing Unemployment Claims - Continuing unemployment claims, which represent individuals who have filed for unemployment and continued to claim benefits, were at a seasonally adjusted level of 1,939,000 for the week ending August 30th, unchanged from the previous week and lower than the forecast of 1,950,000 [7] - Continuing claims have remained near multi-year highs for several months, indicating persistent challenges in the labor market [8] Group 3: Economic Indicators - The relationship between unemployment claims and recessions is highlighted, with the four-week moving average typically rising at or before the onset of a recession and peaking around its conclusion [3] - The extreme volatility of non-seasonally adjusted data necessitates the use of moving averages to better understand secular trends in unemployment claims [6]