Earlier in March, investors were wondering whether the Fed would raise interest rates at its next meeting by 25 bps, as officials did last month, or by 50 bps, as they did in December following a comment by Fed chair Powell about the possibility of a larger increase at the meeting this month amid signs the economy was gaining unexpected momentum. Following the bank failures, investors saw an increasing chance that the Fed would hold rates steady at its meeting next week, not rising rates quite yet. The turmoil in the U.S. banking industry resulted in a rally in government bonds Monday, with yields on some shorter-term Treasurys collapsing half a percentage point in hours. The plunge emphasized how investors have pivoted from worrying about inflation and interest-rate increases to focusing on how problems with banks could damage the economy. Economists are now sending mixed signals as some anticipate just a 25 bps rate rise at the March 21-22 meeting, while others now expect the Fed to hold rates steady in March and resume increases once the current crisis settles down.