Bonds around the world have been selling off, kind of a lot. And that selloff has sent interest rates on government debt to or near their highest in decades— for US government debt, but also debt from the UK, Germany, France, Japan. What gives? We pulled in one of the people who buys and sells those bonds, Ed Al-Hussainy, at Columbia Threadneedle, which manages a lot of money for other people and institutions. Ed reads the market tea leaves for us about why this is happening, what it means for participants in the US economy, and how much we need to worry.
Further Reading:
Harper’s: Debt Reckoning, by Mary Childs
WSJ: The Bond Market Issues World Leaders a Failing Grade, by Greg Ip
Goldman Sachs: Why Global Bond Yields Are Expected to Stay Elevated