Bonds

US Treasurys mixed as bond investors digest Fed speeches, US politics

U.S. government debt prices were relatively flat on Monday as President Donald Trump tours the Middle East on his first foreign trip.

The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note was slightly higher at around 2.250 percent, while the yield on the 30-year Treasury bond held at 2.914 percent. Bond yields move inversely to prices.

Treasurys


President Trump began his trip in Saudi Arabia over the weekend and is expected to arrive in Israel today in an attempt to re-energize the stalled Israeli-Palestinian peace process.

He'll meet with leaders from both Palestine and Israel, according to Reuters. Trump will then fly onto Italy, the Vatican and Belgium during his time abroad.

Meanwhile, in the central bank sphere, a number of Fed members spoke or are slated to speak on Monday.

Philadelphia Fed President Patrick Harker was in Philadelphia where he commented on the "link between physical and economic wellbeing" at the Jefferson College of Health Professions and Jefferson College of Pharmacy Commencement Ceremony. Though, he did not speak on monetary policy.

Then, Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis President Neel Kashkari said Monday it is wrong to think central-bank interest- rate policy can fix all the economy's problems.

In brief remarks opening a conference at his bank, he told attendees that when looking at persistent disparities in the U.S. economy, he believes "we probably can't solve these problems with monetary policy."

Fed Governor Lael Brainard is set to deliver remarks later in the day.

In commodities news, oil prices are front and center this week as members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) are set to meet this week, to discuss compliance and the state of the oil market.

On Monday, oil prices were inching higher — brent crude was up 30 cents at $53.91 a barrel, with U.S. light crude also up 43 cents at $50.76. Both benchmarks have climbed more than 10 percent from lows hit earlier this month.

No major economic data is set to be released on Monday.

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—CNBC's Lauren Thomas contributed to this report.