US Stocks and Bonds Decline Amid Debt Concerns and Weak Treasury Demand
US equities and fixed-income markets faced significant pressure during Thursday’s session, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropping 1.91%—its worst performance in a month. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite followed suit, declining 1.61% and 1.41% respectively as investor sentiment soured.
The selloff gained momentum after a poorly received $16 billion auction of 20-year Treasury notes, which cleared at yields above 5%. This tepid demand for government debt coincides with growing unease about fiscal sustainability, particularly surrounding potential tax legislation that could exacerbate budget deficits.
Market participants are reassessing risk exposures across asset classes, though cryptocurrency markets remained conspicuously absent from today’s downturn—a divergence that may attract capital flows if traditional markets continue weakening.