U.S. government debt insurance cost rises, investors show unease

Published 11/04/2025, 17:04
© Reuters.

Investing.com -- The cost to insure short-term exposure to U.S. government debt rose further on Friday, indicating a heightened sense of investor apprehension.

The spreads on U.S. six-month credit default swaps (CDS), which serve as market-based indicators of the risk of a default, expanded to 70 basis points on Friday. This is an increase from the 65 basis points recorded on Thursday, as per the data from S&P Global Market Intelligence.

A credit default swap is a financial derivative or contract that allows an investor to "swap" or offset their credit risk with that of another investor. In this case, it refers to the risk of the U.S. government defaulting on its debt.

The widening of the spread suggests that investors are perceiving an increased risk of a default on U.S. government debt. It's important to note that this is a market sentiment and not a reflection of the actual financial stability of the U.S. government.

The rise in the cost of insuring exposure to U.S. government debt is a sign of investor nervousness, particularly in the short term, as it indicates a higher perceived risk of default. However, the actual risk of the U.S. government defaulting on its debt remains extremely low.

This article was generated with the support of AI and reviewed by an editor. For more information see our T&C.

Latest comments

Risk Disclosure: Trading in financial instruments and/or cryptocurrencies involves high risks including the risk of losing some, or all, of your investment amount, and may not be suitable for all investors. Prices of cryptocurrencies are extremely volatile and may be affected by external factors such as financial, regulatory or political events. Trading on margin increases the financial risks.
Before deciding to trade in financial instrument or cryptocurrencies you should be fully informed of the risks and costs associated with trading the financial markets, carefully consider your investment objectives, level of experience, and risk appetite, and seek professional advice where needed.
Fusion Media would like to remind you that the data contained in this website is not necessarily real-time nor accurate. The data and prices on the website are not necessarily provided by any market or exchange, but may be provided by market makers, and so prices may not be accurate and may differ from the actual price at any given market, meaning prices are indicative and not appropriate for trading purposes. Fusion Media and any provider of the data contained in this website will not accept liability for any loss or damage as a result of your trading, or your reliance on the information contained within this website.
It is prohibited to use, store, reproduce, display, modify, transmit or distribute the data contained in this website without the explicit prior written permission of Fusion Media and/or the data provider. All intellectual property rights are reserved by the providers and/or the exchange providing the data contained in this website.
Fusion Media may be compensated by the advertisers that appear on the website, based on your interaction with the advertisements or advertisers
© 2007-2025 - Fusion Media Limited. All Rights Reserved.