: Fed funds futures traders boost odds of Fed rate hike next week, put June back in play after raft of U.S. data releases

Fed funds futures traders were back to pricing in a more than 80% chance of a quarter-point rate increase next Wednesday by the U.S. central bank, after data that included declining weekly jobless claims and a rise in consumer spending in the first quarter. The likelihood of a May rate hike by the Federal Reserve was seen at 85.4%, up from 72% a day ago, which would lift the fed funds rate target to between 5% and 5.25%, according to the CME FedWatch Tool. Traders also factored in a decent 24% chance of another quarter-point hike in June, while pulling back on the extent of rate cuts they see through December. Thursday’s rise in Treasury yields was led by the policy-sensitive 2-year rate, which jumped 11 basis points to 4.031% in New York morning trading.

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