Stock Signal Lab
High-yield spread today: the cost of risky credit
Data as of Oct 27, 2026
3.30 % Informative
Higher than on 78% of the days of the last 10 years.
Change over 1 week: +0.01 pp. Over 1 month: +0.37 pp.
Last month
| Date | Value |
|---|---|
| Oct 27, 2026 | 3.30 % |
| Oct 26, 2026 | 3.38 % |
| Oct 23, 2026 | 3.40 % |
| Oct 22, 2026 | 3.27 % |
| Oct 21, 2026 | 3.33 % |
| Oct 20, 2026 | 3.29 % |
| Oct 19, 2026 | 3.31 % |
| Oct 16, 2026 | 3.23 % |
| Oct 15, 2026 | 3.25 % |
| Oct 14, 2026 | 3.16 % |
| Oct 13, 2026 | 3.11 % |
| Oct 12, 2026 | 3.15 % |
| Oct 9, 2026 | 3.15 % |
| Oct 8, 2026 | 3.09 % |
| Oct 7, 2026 | 3.03 % |
| Oct 6, 2026 | 3.12 % |
| Oct 5, 2026 | 3.10 % |
| Oct 2, 2026 | 3.24 % |
| Oct 1, 2026 | 3.12 % |
| Sep 30, 2026 | 3.08 % |
| Sep 29, 2026 | 3.02 % |
| Sep 28, 2026 | 2.93 % |
Over the last 10 years
- High: 4.61 % (Apr 8, 2025).
- Low: 2.59 % (Jan 23, 2025).
- A year ago: 2.88 %.
What it is
The high-yield spread is the extra interest paid by lower-rated companies over US government debt. It is one of the fastest gauges of financial stress.
How to read it
When it rises sharply, companies find it harder to borrow, which usually comes with stock market falls. It is context, without a colour: the source only publishes about 3 years of its history, too little to compare against. The credit light uses Moody’s Baa spread, with data since 1986.
Frequently asked questions
What is high yield?
Bonds of companies rated below investment grade. They pay more interest because their default risk is higher.
What does a rising spread mean?
That investors demand more to lend to risky companies: credit gets dearer, which usually comes with stock market stress.
Where does the data come from?
From the ICE BofA US High Yield index (option-adjusted spread), published by the St. Louis Fed (FRED).
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