Bond yields rose on Tuesday, pushed up by investors' enthusiasm over an increase in retail sales last month.

The yield on the 10-year Treasury jumped to 1.73 percent Tuesday from 1.66 percent Monday. When the yield rises, it means the government has to pay a higher interest rate to persuade investors to buy its bonds. That usually happens when investors are feeling confident about the economy and more willing to put their money into stocks instead of bonds.

Stocks traded higher for most of the day. They fell in the late afternoon, but most bond trading had already stopped by then. It wasn't entirely clear what investors were watching: A surprisingly strong gain in retail sales pushed stocks up, but disappointing reports about company inventories helped drag the market down again.

The price of the 10-year note fell 56.25 cents for every $100 invested. The price of a bond moves in the opposite direction of its yield.

The yield on the 30-year Treasury bond rose to 2.82 percent from 2.75 percent. The price fell $1.375 for every $100 invested.

The yield on the two-year note inched up to 0.28 percent from 0.27 percent. The yield on the three-month bill held steady at 0.10 percent.