* 10-year Treasury yield touched 4.4197%, lowest level since
May 12
* Two-year Treasury yield fell 5.4 basis points to 4.031%
* Markets expect Fed to leave interest rates unchanged
during Kevin Warsh's first meeting as chair
By Tatiana Bautzer
NEW YORK, June 15 (Reuters) - U.S. Treasury yields fell to a
one-month low on Monday as oil prices slid with the announcement
of a preliminary agreement to end the U.S. and Iran conflict.
But the rally is unlikely to change the widely held market
expectations of a Federal Open Market Committee meeting decision
to keep rates steady on Wednesday.
The yield on 10-year Treasury notes fell to
4.4197%, the lowest since May 12, and was last down 4.2 basis
points at 4.443%. Yields move inversely to prices.
U.S. President Donald Trump said the Strait of Hormuz,
through which a fifth of global oil and gas typically flows,
would reopen on Friday and that he had ordered the end of the
U.S. blockade on Iranian ports. WTI oil, the U.S. benchmark, was
last down more than 5% to just above $80 a barrel, its lowest
since early March. But it is still far above the pre-war prices
around $65.
The U.S.-Iran deal is expected to ease pressure on the Fed,
which will hold its first meeting chaired by Kevin Warsh on
Wednesday, to raise rates to curb inflation.
"However, the oil shock is not over and we are not at the
point of reviving hopes of interest rate cuts this year. We
would need more concrete changes in the macro outlook, " said
BMO's U.S. rates strategist Vail Hartman.
The two-year U.S. Treasury yield, which
typically moves in step with interest rate expectations for the
Fed, fell 5.4 basis points to 4.031%.
BMO analysts expect the Fed to leave the fed funds target
unchanged at 3.50% to 3.75%, remove the easing bias from the
official statement, and signal no change in policy rates for the
rest of 2026.
"The most highly anticipated event will be the post-FOMC
press conference by Kevin Warsh," Hartman said, adding that he
expects the new chair to be vague and neutral, as he is opposed
to giving forward guidance. The BMO strategist said the backdrop
favors patience over urgency, considering the uncertainties.
The 10-year TIPS breakeven rate was last at
2.308%, indicating the market sees inflation averaging about
2.3% a year for the next decade.