Global Bond Rout Deepens -- WSJ

By Alexander Osipovich

Government bonds are selling off worldwide as investors fret over heavy fiscal spending and inflation.

At the same time, the capital-hungry AI industry has been gobbling up debt, competing with traditional nation-state borrowers and pushing up financing costs.

The 30-year U.S. Treasury yield ticked up again today, putting it on track for its highest settle since June 2007. French and German long-dated yields are at their highest levels in more than 15 years, while Japan's 30-year yield is near an all-time high.

Stocks look set for a lower open, with Nasdaq-100 futures down over 1% amid renewed tensions in the Middle East. An unknown projectile struck a cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz overnight, the British navy's marine-traffic monitoring agency said.

The attack came after a 60-day truce between the U.S. and Iran expired yesterday with few signs of progress towards a permanent deal to replace it. President Trump said he wouldn't seek an extension of the truce and threatened to bomb Oman, which has acted as a mediator between Washington and Tehran.

Brent crude oil prices are hovering around $91 a barrel. Stock markets in Europe and Asia are mostly lower.

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(END) Dow Jones Newswires

August 18, 2026 06:49 ET (10:49 GMT)