"Over the course of 2014, the spread between longer-term Treasury yields and shorter-term yields has gotten smooshed. The widely watched 10-year/two-year spread has plunged from 2.7 percent to nearly 1.7 percent, as long-term yields have fallen and short-term yields have risen.
This phenomenon, known as yield curve flattening (because the chart showing the comparison between maturities and yields usually shows a curve with the longer-term bond yielding more, but that curve flattens when the spread diminishes) is common during Fed rate hikes, but is traditionally taken as a signal of coming recession."