Interest rates and yield curve

Hey everyone,

If the Fed keeps saying they are raising rates. Why does the yield curve keep sliding downwards? Could someone please explain this to me?

Many thanks, am preparing for my CFA!

Yield curve https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/markets/stoc…

7 Comments
 

That chart is the 2Y10Y spread. Shows the difference between the 10Y and 2Y US Treasury yields; it's evidence of curve flattening, not parallel shifts.

As to why yields move, lots of reasons. The usual (safe, pun intended) guess is a flight to quality situation. The Fed sets a target for the Fed Funds Rate (not a maturity of US debt), and tries to use open market operations to push Fed Funds to their target.

 

The Fed sets the fed funds rate, which is a short-term rate (overnight lending rate that member banks charge each other for borrowing fed reserves). It thus drives other short-term rates but not the long-end of the yield curve. Of course, initially, when the Fed makes a rate announcement, you will see the entire yield curve move in response, but that is a short-term "gut" reaction rather than due to fundamentals. The 10-year yield will decline due to flight to safety, pessimism over the long-term state of the U.S. economy, etc.

 

Agreed on that -- I should have specified the "usual" is totally wrong in this situation. Glad I'm no longer on the desk; I would've hated myself in this environment.

 

A little bit outside the normal box might be a structured products group as a intern

This to all my hatin' folks seeing me getting guac right now..
 

Hic incidunt occaecati molestias molestiae accusantium. Distinctio quas ea asperiores. Sed eos quam sint dolore et est labore impedit.

Rerum vel sapiente est sed. Fuga voluptas nihil quisquam est sunt similique. Dolorem ducimus hic accusamus maiores enim.

Qui perferendis quod quia voluptas illo aut. Labore neque quo fugiat exercitationem. Laboriosam totam iure aut reprehenderit. Sapiente eum eius fuga voluptate sapiente. Quisquam hic pariatur in possimus nobis pariatur earum. Asperiores similique ratione vel libero fugit et quis.

Career Advancement Opportunities

November 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 99.0%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.4%
  • Guggenheim Partners 02 97.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 06 97.4%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

November 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.5%
  • Morgan Stanley 02 99.0%
  • Evercore 01 98.4%
  • Banco Santander 02 97.9%
  • BMO Capital Markets 13 97.4%

Professional Growth Opportunities

November 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 99.0%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.9%
  • JPMorgan No 97.4%

Total Avg Compensation

November 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (57) $264
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (29) $183
  • Intern/Summer Associate (16) $161
  • 1st Year Analyst (84) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (77) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
3
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
4
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
5
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
6
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
7
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
8
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
9
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
10
Mimbs's picture
Mimbs
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”