Most Treasurys stayed up Thursday, pushing yields down, after the government said sales of new homes plummeted to a record low last month. Two-year note yield fell 3 basis points to 0.88%. New home sales fell 14.7% in December to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 331,000. Short-term Treasurys gained earlier after reports on initial jobless claims and durable-goods orders came in worse than expected. Longer-term debt was under pressure after the House of Representatives passed an $819 billion economic stimulus package late Wednesday. Still to come, the Treasury Department will auction of $30 billion in five-year notes, the last major sale of the week.
