U.S. Treasury yields fell on Thursday as the country’s death toll from the coronavirus topped 250,000 and states sought to impose restrictions in order to curb the spread of the virus.
The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note slipped to 0.849% at 5:22 a.m. ET, while the yield on the 30-year Treasury bond fell to 1.575%. Yields move inversely to prices.
Treasury yields dipped as confirmed deaths from the coronavirus in the U.S. surpassed a quarter of a million, at 250,537, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.
A handful of states and cities in the U.S. are closing nonessential businesses, limiting public and private gatherings and imposing mask mandates to try to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
There was reportedly weak demand for the sale of $27 billion sale 20-year bonds on Wednesday, which briefly prompted yields to rise.
Loretta Mester, president of the Cleveland Federal Reserve, is due to speak at 10:30 a.m. and 2:35 p.m. ET on Thursday.
Weekly jobless claims data, along with the four-week average figures, are set for release at 10:30 a.m. ET, along with the Philadelphia Fed manufacturing index.
October existing homes sales data is due out at 12 p.m. ET.
Auctions will be held on Thursday for $30 billion worth of 4-week bills and $35 billion of 8-week bills, as well as $12 billion of 9-year 8-month Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities.
— CNBC staff contributed to this article.
