The 30-year yield hit an intraday peak of 5.19% on May 19, 2026, its highest reading since the summer of 2007. As of July 22, 2026, it was sitting at approximately 5.14%, having climbed roughly 0.19 to 0.20 percentage points since mid-June.
How we got here
The move higher began in mid-May, driven by a combination of rising inflation expectations and climbing energy prices. Investors started demanding more compensation to lend the US government money for three decades, because they’re less convinced inflation will stay tame over that horizon.
The 5% threshold carries psychological weight beyond the number itself. When the 30-year yield sat near 2% or 3%, almost any investment with a plausible return profile looked attractive by comparison. At 5.14%, that math gets harder to ignore.
The debt sustainability problem hiding in plain sight
