Treasury yields were flat on Friday as investors digested shocking news that President Trump tested positive for coronavirus.
The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note was little changed at 0.6923%. At the same time, the yield on the 30-year Treasury bond was also flat at 1.4749%. Yields move inversely to prices.
Yields declined earlier in the session after Trump said in a tweet that he and first lady Melania Trump tested positive for the virus.
Sentiment was helped by hopes that lawmakers will come together to hash out a deal on further coronavirus stimulus in light of Trump’s diagnosis.
“This kind of changes the dynamic because here they see the reality of what we have been saying all along,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Friday on MSNBC. “I’m optimistic, I’m always optimistic. We always have to find a path, that is our responsibility to do so … We’ll find our middle ground. We’re legislators. We’ll get the job done.”
Traders also got a fresh read on the state of the labor market recovery. The labor Department said total nonfarm payrolls rose by 661,000 in September, well below the 800,000 expected. Some economists had expected an upside surprise of 1 million or more.
“Overall it shows a continued clawback from the large depths we fell into, and we’re half way back,” said John Briggs, head of strategy at NatWest.
“The recovery is slowing, and I think it’s to the point that you’ve had a lot of high profile layoffs this week. It doesn’t convince me that things are going to be great. It’s still a recovery. We’re right back to watching what risk does and we’re watching what goings on in Washington with Covid and stimulus,” Briggs said.
— CNBC’s Patti Domm contributed reporting.
