USD Rates: Cooler expectations for data
US CPI watch.
Group Research - Econs, Eugene Leow11 Feb 2026
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US Treasuries shrugged off news that China has told banks to reduce exposure of US government debt and pressures arising from rising JGB yields. US yields were largely unchanged by the end of the trading day. Focus returns to the key data sets due this week (retail sales due today, NFP on the 11th and CPI on the 13th). At current yield levels (more than two cuts priced out to end-2026), USD rates are probably already factoring in a somewhat lower-than-consensus NFP print (consensus: 68k) and retail sales figure (consensus: 0.4% MoM sa). Part of this can be attributed to weak labour market data released over the past week which has already recalibrated rates lower. 

We do not think that USD rates will react much to CPI data due at the end of the week. Consensus is looking for a 2.5% YoY print, broadly in line with inflation swap fixings. A print in that area would probably not skew Fed policy either way. Examining the inflation fixings over the coming year, we note that the market participants are expecting a relatively benign sequential inflation for the coming six months (about 2% annualized). However, the second half of the year is priced for an annualized 3.1% increase. There could be some caution being built in as commodity prices stay elevated (which could translate into higher inflation with a few months lag). Some optimism on the broadening out of the AI / tech related boom out to other supporting sectors could also factor in higher inflation expectations. Further out, we note that 10Y breakevens have risen into the 2.3-2.35% range, up from 2.25-2.3%. The upshot is that inflation will not be an impediment for the Fed to cut rates in the coming few quarters, but that could shift further out. Notably, the 2Y/5Y/10Y fly is getting paid up as investors start to look beyond the 1-2 rate cuts that are likely for 2026.  



Eugene Leow

Senior Rates Strategist - G3 & Asia
[email protected]



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