Bonds

US Treasurys rise as investors look ahead to French election

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U.S. government debt prices were mostly higher on Friday as investors eyed developments in France, where the first round of the French presidential will take place on Sunday.

The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note was lower at around 2.234 percent, while the yield on the 30-year Treasury bond jumped to 2.893 percent. Yields move inversely to prices.

Sunday will see French voters cast their ballots in the first round of their presidential election. The race is seen as too close to call, and could have a wide-ranging impact depending on the result.

Those in the running include the far-right candidate Marine Le Pen; the independent centrist Emmanuel Macron; and the conservative candidate Francois Fillon. The top two candidates in the first round will face a runoff on May 7.

In oil markets, Brent crude traded at around $51.94 a barrel on Friday, down 1.98 percent, while U.S. crude was around $49.58 a barrel, down 2.23 percent.

On the data front, existing home sales rose 4.4 percent in March.

Treasurys