LONDON, May 29 - U.S. government bond yields pushed to a near four-week peak on Wednesday, lifting their global counterparts and pressuring stocks, as data sowed new doubts about the timing and extent of Federal Reserve rate cuts.
The benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury yield rose as high as 4.578%, a level not seen since May 3. Yields move inversely to prices. Traders currently put the odds of at least a quarter-point interest rate cut by September at around 44% following the data, from a coin toss a day earlier, according to the CME Group's FedWatch Tool.
The rise in U.S. yields spread around the world, with Germany's 10-year bond yield climbing 6 basis points to 2.648%, the highest in a month. Gupta said the release of U.S. personal consumption expenditure inflation data on Friday will be an important guide for Fed policy. Economists expect PCE inflation - the Fed's preferred measure - held steady at 2.7% in April from the same level in March.
In energy markets, Brent crude oil futures for July delivery rose 0.7% to $84.81 a barrel, the highest since May 1, while U.S. crude futures climbed 0.75% to $80.42.