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YIELD CURVE · BOND MARKET ANSWER

What is a bull steepener?

A bull steepener occurs when yields fall and shorter-maturity yields fall more than longer-maturity yields, causing the curve to steepen.

SHORT ANSWER

The core idea

A bull steepener occurs when yields fall and shorter-maturity yields fall more than longer-maturity yields, causing the curve to steepen.

THE MECHANISM

What is happening underneath

It is often associated with expectations of central-bank easing or deteriorating near-term growth.

MARKET INTERPRETATION

How investors should read it

The term 'bull' refers to rising bond prices, which correspond to falling yields.

BONDSTATS TAKEAWAY

The same market move can carry different information depending on which maturity, issuer and risk premium is changing. Read the question together with the underlying concepts rather than treating one price move as a universal signal.

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