Treasury 10-year note yields were poised for the lowest annual average since at least World War II as investors spent 2012 seeking haven from Europe’s debt crisis, tepid global growth and a U.S. budget showdown. The benchmark note yield traded below 2.4 percent throughout the year as sluggish job growth led the Federal Reserve to expand debt purchases to push investors toward higher-yielding assets and stimulate growth. The yield’s decline was tempered as risk appetite improved and reports signaled economic advances. U.S. employers added 150,000 jobs in December, data next week were forecast to show. ... (Read the full story)
