Although stocks have rallied to start the week, the bigger story may be in bond exchange traded funds, which sold off again Tuesday following the previous session’s steep decline.
The iShares Barclays 20+ Year Treasury Bond Fund (NYSEArca: TLT) was down 0.8% in the final hour of U.S. trading Tuesday after dropping over 1% the prior day. The Treasury ETF fell below its 50-day moving average. [Treasury ETFs Fall]
Treasuries sold off following reports of a disappointing auction of 5-year notes at a higher-than-expected yield. Bond prices and yields move in opposite directions.
Treasuries also lost ground on speculation Greek lawmakers will vote yes on austerity measures to ensure a financial bailout, Bloomberg reported.
In the credit crisis, investors rushed to the dollar and Treasury bonds as safe havens.