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Like the stock market, the U.S. bond market is benefiting from intervention by the Federal Reserve but future performance will depend also on the trajectory of the COVID-19 pandemic, its economic impact and fiscal policies.
Treasury bond yields remain well under 1% even on the long end–up to a 10-year maturity–and corporate bond spreads have narrowed substantially since the market liquidity crunch in mid-March.
The consensus view is for the economy to recover somewhat in the second half but yields remaining constrained as the Fed continues its massive economic support through near-zero interest rates, asset purchases and multiple credit facilities that support corporate and muni bonds as well as small and medium-sized businesses.
"On the whole, the rest of the year looks likely to be a slow healing process," wrote Brad McMillan, chief investment officer of Commonwealth Financial Network, in a recent note. "The second quarter will be terrible. … The third quarter will likely show some recovery, offset by reduced stimulus. And, hopefully, the fourth quarter will see an economy that has recovered back to levels close to the start of the year."
But if the current wave of the pandemic continues to accelerate — at least 21 states are reporting an increase in infections, including many with increased hospitalizations — and a second wave follows across the nation, optimism about an economic recovery will likely start to fade.
Such a retrenchment would likely boost Treasury prices but not necessarily those of corporate bonds although Fed Chairman Jerome Powell has said the Fed "will continue to use these [emergency] powers forcefully, proactively, and aggressively we are confident that we are solidly on the road to recovery." The Fed recently began to purchase individual corporate bonds as part of its secondary market corporate credit market facility, replacing corporate bond ETFs.
