Stocks end sharply higher

Stocks on Wall Street rallied to their best day in months on Monday after falling bond yields eased some of the pressure that's been battering markets. Giving some respite to stocks was a drop in Treasury yields, which have been surging at market-shaking speed for most of the year.

The yield on the 10-year Treasury, which helps set rates for mortgages and many other kinds of loans, fell to 3.64% from 3.83% late Friday. It got as high as 4% last week after starting the year at just 1.51%. By raising rates, the Fed is making it more expensive to buy a house, a car or most anything else purchased on credit.

The hope is to slow the economy just enough to starve inflation of the purchases needed to keep prices rising so quickly. But the Fed also risks causing a recession if it goes too far.