Scott Bessent Signals Buybacks
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is trying to calm volatile bond markets with buybacks.
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Updated Aug 20, 7:30pm ETEvery side, every morning
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The reporting
U.S. Treasury yields rebounded Thursday, with the 10-year rising more than 5 basis points to 4.704% and the 30-year briefly reaching 5.267%, erasing the prior decline after Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s buyback intervention. Bessent said the Treasury could increase its accelerated long-dated debt buyback above the announced $4 billion, after doubling a scheduled $2 billion operation, to “make a market” where 30-year liquidity is very poor. The selloff has focused attention on gross federal debt above $40 trillion, with Bessent saying the U.S. must grow its way out of the debt burden.
Analysis & opinion
Selloff Signals DangerLeft & Center
The Treasury bond selloff is a serious warning sign for the U.S. economy. Rising bond-market stress could spill into everyday finances and expose how poorly prepared the administration is to respond.
Trump Drives AnxietyMostly Left
Trump’s economic management is contributing to bond-market anxiety and higher government borrowing costs. The administration’s handling of broader crises, including Iran, is making investors more nervous rather than reassuring them.
Intervention Falls ShortMostly Center
Bessent’s Treasury-market interventions are not fixing the underlying problem. Any calming effect from buybacks is limited and temporary, leaving the market’s deeper weaknesses unresolved.
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