US bond yields hold range ahead of FOMC minutes

NEW YORK: US Treasury yields were little changed on Wednesday as traders wait for the release of the Federal Reserve's minutes on its meeting last month when policy-makers agreed to raise key interest rates for a third time in 2018.

Benchmark 10-year yield has been stuck in a narrow range in the wake of the bond market selloff that capitulated a week ago. The 10-year yield has traded either side of 3.15 percent after hitting a 7-1/2 year peak of 3.261 percent last Tuesday.

"People are not sure which direction the market will move," said Larry Milstein, head of government and agency trading at R.W. Pressprich & Co. in New York.

Losses on Wall Street stocks with the S&P 500 down 0.2 percent supported modest demand for Treasuries.

"The safe-haven bids from equities is pretty muted," Milstein said.

The Federal Open Market Committee, the US central bank's policy-setting group, will release the record of its last meeting at 2 p.m. (1800 GMT).

The minutes may offer details behind the September rate hike, but are not expected to produce surprises on the Fed's stance to raise interest rates gradually, despite criticism from US President Donald Trump, who on Tuesday said the Fed was his "biggest threat."

At 12 p.m. (1600 GMT), benchmark 10-year Treasury yield was 3.160 percent, up marginally from late Tuesday, while the 30-year yield was 3.329 percent, little changed on the day.

Fed officials have signaled they may increase short-term rates at their Dec. 18-19 meeting, which would lift their target range on key borrowing costs to 2.25-2.50 percent.

Rising interest rates seem to be taking a bite out of the housing sector.

Data showed a 5.3-percent drop in US home construction last month, raising some concerns about US growth. Most analysts, however, downplayed the weaker starts figures due to recent storms and projected building activity to recover in the coming months.

"Aside from the weather-related swings, housing starts seem to be relatively stable," said Stephen Stanley, chief economist at Amherst Pierpont Securities in Stamford, Connecticut.

Still, the spike in mortgage rates stemming from the recent bond market selloff has hurt mortgage activity.

The Mortgage Bankers Association said its gauge on weekly mortgage applications fell to its lowest level since December 2014 as home loan rates climbed to their highest in over seven years.

Separately, Treasury data released late on Tuesday showed foreigners bought $63 billion in Treasuries in August, which was the most since June 2015. However, China and Japan, the top two foreign owners of US bonds, further reduced their Treasuries holdings.