Technologies

As Fed raises rates, income investors can buy these bonds for solid yields and a portfolio cushion

Where the experts are finding income opportunities now that the Fed has increased rates.

It could be a good time for investors to lock in attractive income in bonds, although selectivity is key. The Federal Reserve hiked interest rates on Wednesday, bringing the fed funds rate to 3.75% to 4%. It also signaled one more increase by the end of the year. While the 10-year Treasury yield initially moved above 5% after the announcement, it was slightly lower Thursday at around 4.95%. Bond yields move inversely to prices. “I’m not sure we’ve seen the top in yields,” said Brian Rehling, co-head of global fixed income and digital asset strategy at Wells Fargo Investment Institute. “I think the Fed probably has more work to do.” Bond yields, particularly on the 10- and 30-year Treasurys, had already been moving higher prior to the Fed decision, thanks to concerns about inflation, bond supply from artificial intelligence companies and the rising government deficit. Investors seeking total return, which includes price appreciation and income, may want to stick with equities right now since bond yields are expected to move higher, said Rehling. However, income-seeking investors can snap up some solid yields. “If you don’t care as much about the market price movement, and you can pick up 5%-plus yield … in investment grade or high yield [bonds],” he said, “that’s attractive because even if you have some price deterioration, you do have the coupon that cushions your total return.” Matthew Palazzolo, senior investment strategist at Bernstein Private Wealth Management, also thinks the recent move higher in Treasury yields is a great opportunity for income investors. “That just pushes up overall rates and provides them with a nicer amount of income. And importantly, and as we’ve been saying for our clients, this provides an attractive entry point,” he said. Income opportunities Investment-grade corporate bonds make a lot of sense right now because the economy is expected to continue doing well and corporate fundamentals remain strong, Rehling said. Investors can also add some exposure to high-yield, but they should stick with higher-rated companies since the elevated yields are going to be a drag on the weakest names, he added. He would also stay with shorter-maturity bonds, two years or less — and no more than five years. For its part, the UBS chief investment office sees select opportunities across regions and market segments. “Investors should calibrate both credit risk and duration to their objectives and investment horizons,” wrote Ulrike Hoffmann-Burchardi, chief investment officer for the Americas and global head of equities at UBS Financial Services. He suggests investors consider selectively adding duration in high-quality bonds. “Alongside attractive income, these securities have scope for price gains if tighter monetary policy slows growth or reduces longer-term inflation expectations, leading yields to decline” as bond prices rise, he said. Investment-grade corporates offer attractive income at intermediate maturities, while higher-risk credit — such as high-yield and emerging market bonds — should have short-dated exposure, he added. Tax-free yields This is also a good time to buy municipal bonds, said Bernstein’s Palazzolo. Munis are free of federal tax, and, if the holder lives in the state in which the bond is issued, exempt from state taxes as well. “To buy municipals here, yielding the levels that they are, [you are] not only starting with a nice beginning level of income, but even if rates begin to move higher still, you’re protected against that duration because you’re collecting a good amount of income,” he explained. He tends to favor muni portfolios that have a duration of about six years, with nice income and little interest-rate sensitivity. No ‘immediate’ return to 60/40 In addition to income, bonds may also provide ballast in broader portfolio. “Higher starting yields reinforce bonds’ role as a key source of portfolio income, while high-quality bonds can provide valuable diversification if economic growth slows,” Hoffmann-Burchardi at UBS said. Goldman Sachs is wary of the 10-year Treasury right now and doesn’t see an immediate return to a traditional 60/40 portfolio. “We see a case for a return to more ‘normal’ strategic bond allocations but the tactical case for adding long-dated bonds is mixed,” Goldman analyst Christian Mueller-Glissmann said in a note Thursday. Energy bottlenecks and central bank policy will likely drive both bonds and stocks in the near term, with rate relief supporting both but yield increases weighing more on equities. “That said, over longer horizons, higher starting yields should lift optimal bond allocations from the unusually low levels of the past five years towards historical norms,” he wrote.

This site is now part of Versant. By continuing to use this service, you agree to our Terms. You also acknowledge that our updated Privacy Policy applies, including to your existing data. For details on your data rights, click here.

On this service, we and our vendors use cookies and other tools (“Cookies”) to store and access information on your device, such as device identifiers, IP address, and your browser type. You can access a list of all our potential 1021 vendors by selecting “IAB and Google Vendors,” although we may work with only a small selection of these on this service. Your data may be used to save and communicate your privacy choices; ensure security, prevent fraud, and debug our products and services; personalize advertising and content; for advertising and content measurement; to conduct audience research and services development; so we can improve our services and develop new ones; to match and combine offline data with your online activity; and for social features. We may share this data with select vendors with your consent.

Click “I Accept”, to consent to our use of these Cookies or “Reject All” to reject our use of these Cookies. Click “Manage Choices” to set your preferences. If you previously made choices with respect to Versant’s use of Cookies on this browser and device, you will need to update them. You can adjust your choices any time through the “Cookie Preferences” link in the footer of relevant Versant sites or in-app settings. Visit our Cookie Notice and Privacy Policy to learn more.

We will also use other Cookies that are essential or related to our services, including for security and fraud prevention.

Store and/or access information on a device. Personalised advertising and content, advertising and content measurement, audience research and services development.

– Your Privacy

– Strictly Necessary

– Save and communicate privacy choices 516 partners can use this special purpose

– Ensure security, prevent and detect fraud, and fix errors 651 partners can use this special purpose

– Deliver and present advertising and content 639 partners can use this special purpose

– Store and/or access information on a device 847 partners can use this purpose

– Personalised advertising and content, advertising and content measurement, audience research and services development 988 partners can use this purpose

– Targeted Advertising

– Content Selection

On this service, we and our vendors use cookies and other tools (“Cookies”) to store and access information on your device, such as device identifiers, IP address, and your browser type. Your data may be used to save and communicate your privacy choices; ensure security, prevent fraud, and debug our products and services; personalize advertising and content; for advertising and content measurement; to conduct audience research and services development; so we can improve our services and develop new ones; to match and combine offline data with your online activity; and for social features. We may share this data with select vendors with your consent. You can adjust your choices any time through the “Cookie Preferences” link in the footer of relevant Versant sites or in-app settings.

We will also use other Cookies that are essential or related to our services, including for security and fraud prevention. To learn more about some of our vendors, see the IAB and Google Vendors under each purpose. Visit our Cookie Notice and Privacy Policy to learn more.

Always Active

These Cookies and SDKs are required for Service functionality, including security and fraud prevention, and to enable any purchasing capabilities. You can set your browser to block these tracking technologies, but some parts of the site may not function properly.

The choices you make regarding the purposes and entities listed in this notice are saved and made available to those entities in the form of digital signals (such as a string of characters). This is necessary in order to enable both this service and those entities to respect such choices.

Your data can be used to monitor for and prevent unusual and possibly fraudulent activity (for example, regarding advertising, ad clicks by bots), and ensure systems and processes work properly and securely. It can also be used to correct any problems you, the publisher or the advertiser may encounter in the delivery of content and ads and in your interaction with them.

Certain information (like an IP address or device capabilities) is used to ensure the technical compatibility of the content or advertising, and to facilitate the transmission of the content or ad to your device.

Cookies, device or similar online identifiers (e.g. login-based identifiers, randomly assigned identifiers, network based identifiers) together with other information (e.g. browser type and information, language, screen size, supported technologies etc.) can be stored or read on your device to recognise it each time it connects to an app or to a website, for one or several of the purposes presented here.

– Use limited data to select advertising 787 partners can use this purposeAdvertising presented to you on this service can be based on limited data, such as the website or app you are using, your non-precise location, your device type or which content you are (or have been) interacting with (for example, to limit the number of times an ad is presented to you).

– Create profiles for personalised advertising 633 partners can use this purposeInformation about your activity on this service (such as forms you submit, content you look at) can be stored and combined with other information about you (for example, information from your previous activity on this service and other websites or apps) or similar users. This is then used to build or improve a profile about you (that might include possible interests and personal aspects). Your profile can be used (also later) to present advertising that appears more relevant based on your possible interests by this and other entities.

– Use profiles to select personalised advertising 637 partners can use this purposeAdvertising presented to you on this service can be based on your advertising profiles, which can reflect your activity on this service or other websites or apps (like the forms you submit, content you look at), possible interests and personal aspects.

– Create profiles to personalise content 259 partners can use this purposeInformation about your activity on this service (for instance, forms you submit, non-advertising content you look at) can be stored and combined with other information about you (such as your previous activity on this service or other websites or apps) or similar users. This is then used to build or improve a profile about you (which might for example include possible interests and personal aspects). Your profile can be used (also later) to present content that appears more relevant based on your possible interests, such as by adapting the order in which content is shown to you, so that it is even easier for you to find content that matches your interests.

– Use profiles to select personalised content 231 partners can use this purposeContent presented to you on this service can be based on your content personalisation profiles, which can reflect your activity on this or other services (for instance, the forms you submit, content you look at), possible interests and personal aspects. This can for example be used to adapt the order in which content is shown to you, so that it is even easier for you to find (non-advertising) content that matches your interests.

– Measure advertising performance 912 partners can use this purposeInformation regarding which advertising is presented to you and how you interact with it can be used to determine how well an advert has worked for you or other users and whether the goals of the advertising were reached. For instance, whether you saw an ad, whether you clicked on it, whether it led you to buy a product or visit a website, etc. This is very helpful to understand the relevance of advertising campaigns.

– Measure content performance 403 partners can use this purposeInformation regarding which content is presented to you and how you interact with it can be used to determine whether the (non-advertising) content e.g. reached its intended audience and matched your interests. For instance, whether you read an article, watch a video, listen to a podcast or look at a product description, how long you spent on this service and the web pages you visit etc. This is very helpful to understand the relevance of (non-advertising) content that is shown to you.

– Understand audiences through statistics or combinations of data from different sources 575 partners can use this purposeReports can be generated based on the combination of data sets (like user profiles, statistics, market research, analytics data) regarding your interactions and those of other users with advertising or (non-advertising) content to identify common characteristics (for instance, to determine which target audiences are more receptive to an ad campaign or to certain contents).

– Develop and improve services 683 partners can use this purposeInformation about your activity on this service, such as your interaction with ads or content, can be very helpful to improve products and services and to build new products and services based on user interactions, the type of audience, etc. This specific purpose does not include the development or improvement of user profiles and identifiers.

– Use limited data to select content 179 partners can use this purposeContent presented to you on this service can be based on limited data, such as the website or app you are using, your non-precise location, your device type, or which content you are (or have been) interacting with (for example, to limit the number of times a video or an article is presented to you).

These Cookies and SDKs are used to collect data about your browsing habits, use of the Services, your preferences, and your interaction with advertisements across platforms and devices for the purpose of delivering targeted advertising content, both on our Services and on third party sites. Third-party sites and services also use Targeting Cookies to deliver content, including advertisements relevant to your interests on the Services. If you reject these Cookies or SDKs, you will see less relevant advertising.

Data collected under this category through Cookies and SDKs can also be used to select and deliver personalized content, such as news articles and videos.

Consent Leg.Interest

label

Technologies

Flames reported near Saudi capital airport as Pakistan presses Iran over energy supplies

Smoke and flames were seen near Riyadh’s main airport after Saudi civil-defense alerts, while Pakistan urged Iran to protect energy supplies and shipping.

Saudi Arabia issued alerts to its citizens early Saturday amid reports of explosions in the capital Riyadh.

The Directorate of Saudi Civil Defense issued the early-warning alerts after Reuters reported two booms in Riyadh, but the agency later gave the all-clear. It subsequently reported a large plume of smoke and flames visible near the city’s main airport, King Khalid International Airport.

The cause of the smoke and flames was unclear, and Saudi authorities did not immediately respond to CNBC’s request for comment.

The Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen stepped up their attacks on Saudi Arabia in recent weeks and launched a lightning ground offensive around Bab el-Mandeb Strait — a strategically vital oil choke point — seizing Mokha and nearby islands

U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration last week approved the potential $24.3 billion sale of nearly 50 F-35 warplanes to Saudi Arabia, seen as a major boost for the kingdom.

The package, announced on Thursday, includes the sale of 48 of Lockheed Martin’s advanced F-35 jets, plus 49 Pratt & Whitney engines and other parts.

Meanwhile, Mohsen Rezaei, Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, told MS NOW on Saturday that consultations with Qatari and Pakistani mediators continue and that they have communicated their negotiation conditions to the U.S.

“We are in contact with the Qatari mediator; they have conveyed our conditions for halting the war to Washington, and we are awaiting President Trump’s response to these terms,” Rezaei said. “Our conditions are: An end to the war on all fronts, the release of Iran’s frozen assets, and the lifting of the naval blockade.”

The Iranian official also confirmed that Pakistan’s Interior Minister, Mohsin Naqvi, is set to travel to Tehran for meetings with Iranian officials about finding a way to return to the Memorandum of Understanding signed in June.

MS Now reports that the White House has not yet responded to these claims.

Separately, Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar spoke with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.

“DPM/FM stressed the importance of uninterrupted energy supplies and the safe and expeditious passage of ships, particularly given their implications for developing countries and global supply chains,” Pakistan’s foreign ministry said in a post on X.

The two diplomats agreed to meet on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York next week, the ministry said.

Reuters quoted a State Department spokesperson as saying on Sept. 11 that a “core delegation from the Iranian regime” would be allowed to attend the meeting in line with the United States’ obligations as the world body’s host country.

‘Hopefully’ nearing the end of the war

Trump said Wednesday that the country is “hopefully” approaching the end of its nearly seven-month war with Iran.

Brent crude oil, the international benchmark, is up 72% since the start of 2026 as the war choked off energy supplies flowing through the Strait of Hormuz between Iran and Oman.

Saudi Arabia has tried to divert its oil exports away from the strait by pumping it through its East-West pipeline to the Red Sea. But a drone attack that Saudi Arabia said originated in Iraq damaged the East-West pipeline on Sept. 11, forcing a shutdown.

Crude prices fell for the third consecutive session Friday to finish the week basically flat, as the market anticipates the closure of Saudi Arabia’s East-West pipeline will not have as big an impact on supplies as originally feared.

U.S. West Texas Intermediate futures fell 1.6% to close at $100.30 per barrel. Brent crude traded 0.9% lower, settling at $103.87.

— CNBC’s Terri Cullen contributed to this report.

Technologies

MS NOW, CNN and Politico journalists blocked from White House after Trump ban

Journalists from MS NOW, CNN and Politico were denied access to the White House, one day after Trump banned three media outlets over their coverage of him.

Journalists from MS NOW, CNN and Politico were denied access to the White House grounds on Saturday, one day after President Donald Trump said he is banning the three outlets over their coverage of him.

White House reporter Akayla Gardner said MS NOW journalists were blocked from the grounds for the first time Saturday morning.

“Yesterday our journalists were able to stay here working on the White House grounds,” she said. “This was the first action we know of them actually denying us entry into the White House.”

“The White House belongs to the American people and the decisions made inside are funded by our tax dollars,” MS NOW said in a statement. “MS NOW intends to take any and all steps necessary to defend our First Amendment rights and the essential role of independent journalism in our democracy.“

MS NOW said it will “continue to report on the President, the administration, and the issues that impact the American people.”

CNN reported later Saturday that its journalists were denied access to the White House.

“CNN’s mission to report on the U.S. government will continue regardless of any attempts to restrict physical access to the White House and other government buildings, or any other attempts to impede our journalism,” CNN said in a statement. “We have a right under the U.S. Constitution to do our reporting without hindrance or interference from the government and this ban is an illegal assault under that right.”

The news organization reiterated it “stands fully behind our White House team.”

Politico’s editor-in-chief, Jonathan Greenberger, emailed the newsroom: ″A few minutes ago, our colleague Cheyenne Haslett attempted to enter the White House to do her job as a POLITICO reporter. Secret Service denied her entry to the complex and confiscated the pass that allows her access to the White House. We stand by her and all reporters here covering the White House. As we said yesterday, we will vigorously defend our First Amendment rights.”

When asked to respond, the White House referred CNBC to the president’s comments yesterday.

On Friday, Trump said in a Truth Social post that those outlets “shouldn’t be able to constantly write or report FICTION and LIES when they’re covering the President of the United States, the Trump Administration, or the United States of America.”

“Other Fake News Media Outlets to follow,” he added.

Later that day, in the Oval Office, the president said he was imposing the ban in response to “cumulative stories” by the three outlets.

“You get sick of it,” he said.

In 2018, Trump’s White House briefly tried to suspend a CNN reporter’s press pass, and it is currently being sued over an attempted ban of Associated Press journalists from certain spaces.

The AP said on Saturday that it supports the banned media outlets. “No news organization — or person — should be retaliated against by the government over the words they use,” it said in a statement.

The White House Correspondents’ Association called on the Trump administration to immediately restore the journalists’ access, saying the action violates the First Amendment.

“The American people, through a free and independent press, must be able to scrutinize those elected to power, regardless of whether government officials view it favorably,” WHCA president Jacqui Heinrich said in a statement. “That’s why courts have repeatedly held that once the White House provides access to journalists, it cannot deny that access arbitrarily or based on the content of their reporting.”

Trump said Friday that the effort to bar news outlets is worthwhile, even if it does not hold up in court.

“I think it’s good to point it out whether it survives or doesn’t,” Trump said.

Arthur Spitzer, a lawyer for the American Civil Liberties Union, told CNBC that Trump’s move to ban what the president himself has called “the free press” is likely unconstitutional.

“He’s plainly discriminating against them because they don’t like the way they report the news, and the government isn’t supposed to do that,” Spitzer said, referring to Trump. “Certainly, our view is the president cannot control, or try to control, the news by banning outlets from official events because he doesn’t like the way they’re reporting on him.”

Spitzer represents the ACLU in a case related to Trump’s ban of AP journalists from certain government spaces, including the Oval Office and Air Force One.

— CNBC’s Kevin Breuninger and Dan Mangan contributed to this report.

Disclosure: CNBC and MS NOW are divisions of Versant Media.

Technologies

Mercari Shares Volatile After Pokémon Card Listing Limits

Mercari shares rebounded Friday after plunging on restrictions for Pokémon’s 30th anniversary products, with Citigroup calling the stock oversold and an opportunity despite the temporary listing ban.

Mercari’s stock surged over 4% Friday, continuing its recovery from a selloff triggered by the Japanese e-commerce platform’s Tuesday announcement restricting listings of Pokémon’s 30th anniversary merchandise. The company stated the limits would persist until it can guarantee a safe and secure trading environment. Shares plunged 6.4% Wednesday when the restrictions took effect, then rebounded to close 1.4% higher Thursday. The stock also outperformed the Nikkei 225 on Friday morning, which gained roughly 1%.

Mercari explained it imposed the temporary ban due to concerns that a transaction surge following the anniversary product release could spark trading disputes and user harassment. Citigroup attributed Wednesday’s 6%+ drop to the Pokémon card listing restrictions, noting Mercari’s recent share weakness had pushed the stock to “overly pessimistic levels,” calling the shares “oversold” and the pullback an investment opportunity.

Growth in merchandise value sold on Mercari’s marketplace in the second half of fiscal 2026 exceeded expectations, while a multi-category recovery could support double-digit growth, the bank added. Citi also said the trading halt for certain products was negative but not significant enough to revise its forecasts.

The restrictions arrive amid a global Pokémon card boom. Online marketplace eBay reported “Pokémon” was searched over six million times on its U.K. site in July, highlighting sustained demand for trading cards. Pokémon card prices have skyrocketed 1,350% since 2020, according to an index from Collectors, which owns grading agency Professional Sports Authenticator, Verum previously reported. In February, influencer Logan Paul sold a rare Pikachu Illustrator card for over $16 million after purchasing it for just over $5 million in 2021. New cards sell out within minutes, with buyers coordinating on X and Discord. A post on X this month claimed a Pokémon card fetched $2.7 million at auction, setting a record.

Mercari signed an agreement with The Pokémon Company in 2023 to promote safer trading of Pokémon products on its platform, and introduced a 2025 policy allowing it to restrict listings when fraud, transaction disputes, or extreme price swings threaten marketplace safety.