Demand for debt insurance has skyrocketed, while demand for US Treasury bills has fallen off, the FT reported.
Meanwhile, the demand for US Treasury bills has fallen off, a sign investors are leaning away from government-issued debt as the impasse over raising the debt ceiling drags on.
Prices for Treasury bills that expire in late summer – around the time a debt default could potentially happen – have fallen below those of other, riskier short-term debt instruments, the FT said.
Though experts say it is unlikely, a debt default would be potentially catastrophic for markets, with US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen calling such an event an "unthinkable."
But time is running out for policymakers, who are holding out as they spar over possible spending cuts as a condition for raising the debt ceiling.