Investing.com -- The cost to insure short-term exposure to U.S. government debt rose further on Friday, indicating a heightened sense of investor apprehension.

The spreads on U.S. six-month credit default swaps (CDS), which serve as market-based indicators of the risk of a default, expanded to 70 basis points on Friday. This is an increase from the 65 basis points recorded on Thursday, as per the data from S&P Global Market Intelligence.

A credit default swap is a financial derivative or contract that allows an investor to "swap" or offset their credit risk with that of another investor. In this case, it refers to the risk of the U.S. government defaulting on its debt.

The widening of the spread suggests that investors are perceiving an increased risk of a default on U.S. government debt. It's important to note that this is a market sentiment and not a reflection of the actual financial stability of the U.S. government.

The rise in the cost of insuring exposure to U.S. government debt is a sign of investor nervousness, particularly in the short term, as it indicates a higher perceived risk of default. However, the actual risk of the U.S. government defaulting on its debt remains extremely low.

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