Treasury Funding Rally Fades as Event Risks Loom
Sentiment is stabilizing in financial markets after a late-Monday surge that saw equity indices jump, Treasury yields fall, and risk-sensitive currencies outperform the dollar. The rally was touched off when the US Treasury said it would need to borrow less than previously anticipated, essentially soaking up less market liquidity than had been feared. According to an updated estimate, marketable borrowing should total $760 billion in the first quarter, unexpectedly undershooting the $816 billion projected at the end of October amid higher-than-anticipated starting cash balances and an improvement in “net fiscal flows” (likely higher tax revenues). Investors remain wary however –...