For investors, the words credit default swap can bring back painful memories of 2008. But in the case of Greece, the dreaded derivatives may not be the ticking time bomb some have feared.
While you needed a Costco-size supply of Dramamine to survive the stock market's choppy ride to nowhere both last year and over the past decade, you required no such relief when it came to your bonds -- or at least one type of bond.
The head of the European Central Bank offered hints Thursday about the No. 1 question in Europe: Will the bank step up and do more to calm the bond markets?
In the wake of the Congressional debt committee's failure to find agreement, Fitch Ratings affirmed the United States' top-notch credit rating on Monday but revised its rating outlook to "negative," down from "stable."
European bond yields rose Wednesday after a German bond auction flopped, undermining trust in eurozone government debt.
When it comes to ideas to solve to Europe's debt crisis, nothing seems to stick. And that's the case with the latest one.
When it comes to ideas to solve to Europe's debt crisis, nothing seems to stick.
Investors apparently have a finite capacity when it comes to panicking.
Moody's has cut Spain's sovereign credit rating, making it the last of the big three rating agency to take action in less than a month as confidence wanes over whether eurozone's fourth largest economy will be able to meet its ambitious deficit reduction targets.
Greece's debt crisis may be an ocean away, but it's seeping into dozens of U.S. cities and towns thanks to troubled Franco-Belgian bank Dexia.
updated: Mon Sep 26 2011 06:34:00
CNN's Becky Anderson talks to IHS' Jan Randolph about the ongoing European debt crisis.
Investors jumped back into Treasuries Monday, as fears about a Greek default pushed tentative investors into the perceived safety of U.S. government debt.
German Vice-Chancellor and Economics Minister Philipp Rösler broke a long period of silence about a possible Greek default by saying that all options are to be considered.
Investors continued to pile into Treasuries Monday as the intensifying debt crisis in Europe sparked a broad flight to safety.
As they cope with the market's twists and turns, investors are finding comfort in a new kind of security blanket: emerging market bonds.
Investors have been pouring their money into U.S. Treasuries all year, much to the consternation of bond guru Bill Gross, who had been advocating for investors to dump out of government debt because of their low yields.
The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note dropped to an all-time low Thursday, as investors rushed to the safety of U.S. debt in the wake of a huge stock sell-off.
Treasury yields moved slightly higher Monday as investors tried to sort through the aftermath of one of the most volatile trading weeks in recent memory.
For the first time in history, the United States no longer deserves its cherished AAA-status -- at least according to Standard & Poor's. So are investors dumping their Treasuries? Far from it.
Investors are still more than willing to buy the federal government's debt, but they might not be so kind to America's cities and towns.
Standard & Poor's move lowering the U.S. credit rating from AAA to AA+ shook global markets over the weekend as traders reacted to the news.
A day after Standard & Poor's rating agency downgraded the U.S. credit rating to AA+ from its top rank of AAA, there were more questions than answers Saturday about what effects the move will have on the economy and American consumers.
A day after Standard & Poor's rating agency downgraded the U.S. credit rating to AA+ from its top rank of AAA, there were more questions than answers Saturday about what effects the move will have on the economy and American consumers.
updated: Fri Aug 05 2011 22:56:00
Investors lose their nerve as EU and U.S. debt crisis weakness drags on. CNN talks to Mark Konyn, CEO of Asia Pacific.
The Standard & Poor's rating agency announced Friday that it has downgraded the U.S. credit rating to AA+ from its top rank of AAA.
Though you no longer have to worry about the havoc a debt-ceiling default could wreak on your finances, another threat lingers for Americans: The fallout from any future downgrade of U.S. government debt.
updated: Tue Aug 02 2011 23:34:00
China's only independent credit agency set to downgrade U.S. credit rating again. CNN's Stan Grant reports.
The nation is just days away from the debt ceiling deadline, and no one knows exactly what will happen when the borrowing limit is reached. But even in the worst case scenarios, many experts think investors will flock to U.S. Treasuries.
As policymakers in Washington continue to butt heads over the debt ceiling, the response in the bond market Monday was relatively subdued.
Moody's Investors Service downgraded Greece again Monday, to one class above default, following a new bailout package from its European neighbors.
For the last week and a half, the yield on the 10-year bond has held below 3%, an indication of strong demand for US debt and a market that's confident the debt ceiling impasse will be resolved.
As lawmakers are busy trying to reach a compromise to get the nation's fiscal house in order, bond market experts are keeping a close eye on how tax reform will play out as part of the plan to reduce the federal deficit.
Concerns about the extent of the eurozone debt crisis were punctuated as Moody's Investors Services cut Ireland's credit rating to junk late in the session. That held the yield on the 10-year Treasury bond below 3% Tuesday.
updated: Tue Jul 12 2011 06:24:00
Bank of Israel Governor Stanley Fischer talks Europe's economy and the U.S. debt crisis.
JPMorgan Chase will pay $228 million in a setttlement of charges that the bank's securities division rigged the market for municipal bond derivatives, state and federal regulators announced Thursday.
The muni bond market is showing signs of life but experts caution that it may be too early to call a full blown recovery.
Worries over Europe's sovereign debt crisis returned to the Treasury market with a vengeance Monday, sending prices higher as investors sought the familiar safety of U.S. government debt.
The municipal bond market has been showing some signs of life, with yield-hungry investors showing an appetite for state and local government debt.
updated: Tue Apr 19 2011 00:59:00
Standard & Poor's has lowered it's outlook for the nation's long term debt, based on U.S. fiscal problems.
The municipal bond market is finally starting to recover from a severe winter slump, and some experts say the outlook for state and local government debt is sunnier than ever.
The municipal bond market is headed for its worst quarter in a decade, as investors fear cash-strapped states and cities across the country are on the brink of default, and local governments slow debt issuance.
As investors fear cash-strapped states and cities across the country are on the brink of default and local governments slow debt issuance, the municipal bond market is heading for its worst quarter in a decade.
I'm a senior citizen with ample monthly income and have about $20,000 maturing in a CD. Would it be wise for me to put this extra money into a highly rated high-yield municipal bond fund to secure a little more tax-free interest than I'd get in a new CD? -- Joyce M., Seagoville, Texas
Always wanted to own a little piece of your local incinerator? Well you might be out of luck.
Pimco's Total Return Fund, the world's biggest bond fund, slashed its exposure to U.S. government debt to zero last month.
State and local governments across the country are struggling under the weight of their budget woes.
More investors appear to be betting that the United States' ever-rising debt load is going to get worse and are working to protect themselves against it.
Just as fears about a heavy sell off in the municipal bond market seemed to be easing, Standard & Poor's issued a warning that this year could bring a potential surge in the number of downgrades of bonds issued by state and local governments.
Why have municipal bond funds been taking such hits in recent weeks? And what should investors do about it? -- Frank Manfredo, Brentwood, N.Y.
Municipal bonds continued to sell off this week, as worried investors fled the market, and the media continued to churn out stories about state and local governments struggling with severe budget shortfalls.
Treasury prices fell Wednesday for the second day in a row as U.S. stocks rallied and investors' concern over eurozone debt issues eased.
Treasury prices fell Tuesday, after Japan announced it will buy eurozone bonds to help prevent the spread of the region's debt crisis.
States and localities are about to kiss a vital source of funds goodbye.
After see-sawing all last week, Treasury prices pushed slightly higher Monday as fears about Europe's debt crisis increased the appeal of safe-haven U.S. debt.
U.S. Treasury prices declined Thursday, as investors digested fresh signals out of Ireland that it may be close to a debt bailout deal.
Cash-strapped California kicked off a $14 billion debt sale Monday, amid weakening demand for municipal bonds as investors fret that ballooning deficits could trigger cities and states to default on their debt payments.
updated: Sun Nov 14 2010 18:27:00
In May, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger discussed plans for California's budget.
Treasury prices climbed Monday, as investors continue to bet on another bond-buying binge from the Federal Reserve next month.
Treasury yields were mostly higher Thursday after better-than-expected news on economic growth, the job market and business activity reduced demand for the safety of U.S. government debt.
Treasury yields moved slightly higher Wednesday after investors showed robust demand in the last auction in the Treasury's offering of $100 billion in newly-printed U.S. debt this week. The yield on the benchmark 10-year note rose to 2.50% from 2.46% late Tuesday. The yield on the 30-year bond edged up to to 3.68%. The 5-year note yielded 1.28%, while the 2-year note's yield edged up to 0.44%.
Treasury yields sank Tuesday as investors responded to a disappointing report on consumer confidence and the U.S. auctioned $35 billion in 5-year notes.
Treasury yields fell Monday, as demand for U.S. debt remained strong at the start of a major auction week.
Treasury yields drifted lower Friday as demand for the safety of U.S. government debt got a boost following a disappointing report on consumer sentiment and a tame reading on inflation.
Long-term Treasury yields rose Thursday after a surprise improvement in weekly jobless claims boosted investor optimism about an economic recovery.
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, has dodged a debt bullet. The only problem is that the gun is still loaded.
Treasury yields eased Monday as investors swung back into U.S. government bonds, reversing the momentum from last week's sharp sell-off that pushed yields to monthly highs.
Investors returned from a holiday weekend with a gloomier outlook on the economy, thanks to an old concern that won't seem to die -- the health of European banks.
After ending last week with a sell-off of Treasurys, investors swung back to U.S. government bonds Monday when a move by the Bank of Japan reignited jitters about the global economy.
So much for those worries about rising long-term interest rates.
If the ongoing budget woes of the nation's cities and states don't make you nervous, perhaps it should.
Spanish banks are borrowing record amounts from the European Central Bank as the country's financial institutions struggle to gain funding from the international capital markets.
China added to its big position in U.S. debt during the month of April, according to the latest figures from the Treasury Department.
Treasurys rallied Friday after a disappointing retail sales report sparked renewed concerns about the economic recovery.
Treasury prices fell Thursday as risk appetite returned to the markets after reassuring remarks out of Europe.
As manias go, this one is different. Your neighbors aren't coming up to you at cocktail parties bragging about making a killing in bonds. No one is flipping fixed income for quick profit. And no talk-radio guru is shouting that bonds will be the only investment left standing after the next financial Armageddon.
The corporate bond market is in the middle of a slump as the appetite for riskier assets has once again dwindled.
Fitch downgraded Spain's sovereign debt to a lower investment grade Friday, adding to continued concerns about European contagion.
Several downtrodden cities are on the verge of defaulting on their debt, putting financially encumbered states and taxpayers on the hook to pick up the tab. The National League of Cities says municipal governments will probably come up $56 billion to $83 billion short between now and 2012. That's the tab for decades of binge spending; municipal defaults could be our collective hangover.
Treasury prices rallied and yields slipped Tuesday as confidence in the global economy dropped and investors flocked to the safety of the bond market.
Treasurys fell Friday, erasing earlier session gains that had pushed the 10-year yield to a one-year low.
A day after European leaders agreed on a $900 billion rescue package, credit rating agency Moody's cautioned investors that two of the euro zone's hardest hit countries aren't out of the woods just yet.
U.S. debt prices continued to rally Wednesday, after Moody's said it was considering cutting Portugal's credit rating one to two notches.
U.S. bonds rallied Tuesday, as fears about Greece's ability to refinance its debt again plagued investors.
Treasury prices rose Friday, as investor worries grew about Greece's aid package and a credit rating agency downgraded Goldman Sachs stock.
Treasurys fell Wednesday, after a government auction drew moderate demand and the Federal Reserve announced it will leave interest rates unchanged for an "extended period."
Standard and Poor's downgraded the sovereign debt ratings of Greece to junk status Tuesday, and lowered the investment grade status of Portugal, citing weak "macroeconomic structures" for the debt-troubled European nations.
Treasury prices slipped and shed their safe-haven appeal Friday after Greece said it will seek a bailout from the European Union to abet its debt crisis.
Treasury prices gave up gains and turned lower Thursday after the Treasury announced a fresh supply of U.S. debt to be auctioned next week.
Treasurys rose Wednesday as concerns about Greek debt sparked demand for U.S. debt.
Treasury prices rose Thursday as concerns about Greece kept demand for U.S. debt strong.
Treasurys fell Friday morning but erased losses by the end of the session, as traders remained skeptical of the developments concerning Greece's debt problems.
Treasury prices fell Thursday following the sale of $13 billion in 30-year bonds and as concerns about Greek debt eased.
Treasury prices continued to fall Monday following tepid auctions last week.
Treasury prices drifted higher Friday as investors moved to take advantage of sharply higher yields following a lukewarm auction of $118 billion in U.S. notes earlier this week.
Treasury prices continued falling on Wednesday after the latest auction of government debt.
U.S. debt prices rose Monday, after the House passed a historic health care bill the previous evening.
The United States isn't in jeopardy of losing its gold-plated credit rating, though by one measure America is closer to the ratings-downgrade danger zone than Spain.
What's it going to take for long-term Treasury yields to climb again?
Moody's Investors Service fired off a warning on Wednesday that the triple A sovereign credit rating of the US would come under pressure unless economic growth was more robust than expected or tougher actions were taken to tackle the country's budget deficit.
updated: Wed Feb 03 2010 19:56:00
CNN's Richard Quest sits down with the Greek finance minister to get to the heart of Greece's financial woes.
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