US government bonds tumbled on Thursday after the US Treasury announced another record round of auctions for next week and more data provided evidence the US recession was easing. The primary concern though remained the $2 trillion in new issuance expected this fiscal year, with investors again worrying about the market's ability to handle the $104 billion to be offered in next week's auctions alone.
Traders were betting the government would have to offer higher yields to entice buyers with all that paper floating around. The selling was compounded by data showing a sharp pick up in the Philadelphia Fed's regional manufacturing index, which played into the view that the nation's factories are finally emerging from the recession.
"That is going to be troublesome," said John Canavan, market strategist at Stone & McCarthy Research Associates in Princeton, New Jersey. The Treasury said it will sell a combined $104 billion in two-, five- and seven-year notes next week. This is a record sale of coupon Treasuries in a single week, surpassing the previous figure of $101 billion.
That was enough to bring an end to five days of recovery in Treasury prices, sending benchmark 10-year notes down 1-2/32 for a yield of 3.83 percent, up 13 basis points on the day. So bearish was the market's tone that dealers even cast a rather grim report on weekly jobless claims in a positive light. Weekly claims rose modestly to 608,000, but continuing claims stemmed a steady six month climb that continue to set weekly records. The 30-year bond was down 1-10/32 and yielding 4.61 percent, up 11 basis points.