1.   Also helping bonds was speculation among traders that Congress and the Clinton Administration were getting closer to a budget agreement that might include a tax cut on capital gains.

2.   Also helping bonds are low yields on bonds in other countries and a strong dollar, which make higher-yielding U.S debt attractive, analysts said.

3.   An increase could even help bonds, because it would satisfy investors that the Fed is committed to keeping inflation at bay.

4.   An overnight rise in the yen, which improves the appeal of Japanese bonds to foreign investors, also helped bonds.

5.   Bonds are helped when there is little concern over accelerating inflation, because inflation erodes the value of fixed-income assets.

6.   Bonds is helped by his circumstances.

7.   Bonds were also helped by a larger-than-expected fall of machine orders in March.

8.   Bonds were also helped by investors fleeing from the stock market.

9.   Bonds were helped by the dollar but were hurt by concerns over a large supply of new notes coming to market next week.

10.   Bonds also were helped by a budget-balancing accord announced by President Bill Clinton and congressional leaders late Friday.