Rabobank’s RaboResearch Global Economics & Markets team highlights that hotter-than-expected US CPI has pushed US 2-year and 10-year yields sharply higher, reviving talk of a possible 50 bps Federal Reserve hike. The report links the move to renewed inflation pressures in groceries, housing and services, and notes that this comes just after investors had rushed back into Treasuries.

Hot CPI revives aggressive Fed pricing

“Yesterday’s US CPI print came in hotter than expected at 0.4% m-o-m headline vs. a consensus of 0.3% and 0.3% core vs. a 0.2% market view. To put it in the words of the usually dovish Fed voter Goolsbee, “It’s another distressing report, borderline disturbing. We’ve been hoping to get progress.” Instead, we saw an acceleration in grocery and food inflation, persistent housing/shelter price pressure, and a delayed pass-through from earlier energy shocks feeding into medical care, household furnishings, and other daily expenses.”

“The reaction in US 2-year yields was dramatic – they jumped 19bps while 10-year yields rose 14bps to briefly go back above 5% again; today, we have a Bloomberg story talking about the possibility ofa 50bps hikefrom the Fed!”

“Of course, that US yield spike came just after everyone rushed back into Treasuries after the AI and bullish oil trades hit an air pocket with last week’s US election on the view that the former is likely to be slowed down and that we are closer to peace than war in the Middle East on the back of the recent Democrat Blue Tsunami.Now imagine if either of those were not the case.”