Asia-Pacific Stocks Fall as 30-Year Treasury Yield Hits 5.197% on Iran Tensions
Updated
Updated · CNBC · May 20
Asia-Pacific Stocks Fall as 30-Year Treasury Yield Hits 5.197% on Iran Tensions
10 articles · Updated · CNBC · May 20
Japan’s Nikkei 225 fell 0.88% on Wednesday, South Korea’s Kospi lost 0.52% and Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 slipped 0.5% as regional equities tracked a global risk-off move.
A 30-year U.S. Treasury yield briefly touched 5.197%—its highest since July 2007—after investors kept selling bonds on fears inflation is reaccelerating, tightening pressure on equity valuations.
Geopolitical nerves added to the selloff after Donald Trump said he had been an hour away from deciding to attack Iran before delaying the move for a few days.
Wall Street had already set a weak lead overnight: the S&P 500 fell 0.67% for a third straight loss, the Nasdaq dropped 0.84% and the Dow shed 322 points, though U.S. stock futures edged higher in early trade.
With bond yields at 2007 highs, are markets bracing for a recession or a new era of higher interest rates?
How would a U.S.-Iran conflict over the Strait of Hormuz permanently reshape the global energy map?