Citigroup strategist Jim McCormick said bond markets are now watching 5.5% as the next major level for the 30-year US Treasury yield after it climbed to 5.16%, close to its highest level since 2007.
McCormick noted that persistent inflation and stronger-than-expected US economic growth are reducing the traditional “buy the dip” demand for US government bonds. Investors are becoming less willing to purchase Treasuries when yields rise.
Analysts at Barclays and BNP Paribas also warned that the bond selloff could continue as higher oil prices linked to the Iran conflict keep inflation expectations elevated.
Rising long-term Treasury yields are changing market expectations for future Federal Reserve rate cuts and creating additional volatility across equity and credit markets. Higher borrowing costs are also tightening global financial conditions.
The combination of surging oil prices, rising US bond yields and a stronger US dollar is putting pressure on emerging Asian economies, particularly India, Indonesia and Philippines. These countries face slower growth, inflation risks and weaker investor sentiment.
Foreign investors have been pulling money out of emerging markets as higher US yields make American assets more attractive. The resulting capital outflows are weakening local currencies and increasing the cost of servicing dollar-denominated debt.
Central banks in these economies face a difficult trade-off. Raising interest rates could help support their currencies, but tighter monetary policy may further slow already weakening domestic economic growth.
Meanwhile, Japan warned that selling US Treasuries to defend the yen may actually weaken the currency further by widening the interest rate gap with the United States. Japan remains the world’s largest foreign holder of US government debt. Japanese investors sold a net $29.6 billion of US bonds in Q1 2026, the biggest quarterly outflow since mid-2022. The warning comes after Japan reportedly spent about $63 billion on yen-buying interventions since late April, yet the yen continues to trade near 159 per US dollar.
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