Shija Agustin

Major sovereign markets repriced fast as long-term government yields jumped to multi-yr highs, signaling a tougher interest-rate backdrop than investors expected earlier in 2026.
These moves were not just about the next policy meeting; long-term yields absorbed inflation worries, heavier borrowing needs, and a higher term premium.
Because long-term yields shape financing across the economy, sustained increases can raise costs for governments, companies, households, mortgages, and refinancing more broadly.
Higher oil prices worsened the sell-off, and markets reversed earlier rate-cut bets, lifting expectations that major central banks could stay tighter for longer.
The bigger question now is how long elevated long-term borrowing costs persist if debt, deficits, and inflation risks keep investors demanding more compensation.

Global Bond Yields Are Surging

In Q2 2026, nearly two-thirds of employed Canadians named cost of living as their top stressor, while one in five said anxiety hurt work productivity.
One in twenty missed work entirely because of financial anxiety, and stressed workers scored 47.3 on the index versus 71.7 without stress.
Canada’s overall index sat at 63.9, with one-third of workers in high risk and nearly half in moderate risk; anxiety and isolation ranked weakest.
Three in five workers contributing to workplace savings plans said they did not fully understand them, highlighting demand for guidance that employers were not providing.
Nearly three in ten had no emergency savings, scoring 20.6 points lower, while fewer than half felt safe discussing mental health with managers at work.