I keep stating this, but I feel there is an attempt to raise long term rates to allow for coverage of obligations by pensions/etc.. without bk's imploding the world financial system.
I guess that the FED/Treasury is looking for a long term rate of 8% by 2010 if they can get there, but I don't think that will be a hard or fast target. Also think that above 7% yield on the LB a lot of people would be happy.
I think they will hike a minimum of 50bps, and I like the idea of a 50bp hike followed by a pause. Should shake things up for the mid term elections, and allow longer term rates to rise a bit to take out the inversion. Short term rates hit 5.50, 30 yr goes up to 5.35 or so, curve inverts, recession hits, and six to nine months from now we start getting a series of about 4 25 bp drops, maybe a little more if conditions warrant. That un-inverts the curve, with the long rates maybe a little higher, maybe a little lower, but certainly above 5.00. Then, a slow series of hikes happens again, dragging up the long end of the curve with it as things stay fairly flat. Rinse and Repeat.