How does rising inflation typically affect bond prices?

Rising inflation typically leads to a decrease in bond prices because fixed interest payments, which bonds provide, become less appealing. When inflation rises, the purchasing power of future cash flows from fixed interest payments diminishes. Investors demand a higher yield to compensate for the decreased value of money over time due to inflation. Since existing bonds offer fixed interest rates, their prices must decrease in order to provide a competitive yield that reflects the increased requirements of investors facing rising prices.

For example, if inflation rises, investors may seek new bonds that offer higher yields, resulting in a sell-off of existing bonds that don't match these new yield expectations. This leads to a drop in the prices of those existing bonds, as investors are less willing to pay a premium for them when better opportunities are available in the market. Thus, the relationship between rising inflation and a decline in bond prices is a fundamental concept in bond market dynamics.