Treasury auctions · 19-Year 11-Month Bond, reopening

20-year bond auction of 2 December 2021 (reopening)

The 20-year bond sold $25 million at a high yield of 1.872% on , with a bid-to-cover ratio of 2.92.

High yield at each 20-year bond auction

The last 20 auctions, this one last

High yield at each 20-year bond auction, 20 May 2020 to 2 Dec 2021

Bid-to-cover ratio at each 20-year bond auction

The last 20 auctions, this one last

Bid-to-cover ratio at each 20-year bond auction, 20 May 2020 to 2 Dec 2021

Who bought the 20-year bond of 2 Dec 2021

Shares of the competitive bids accepted

  • Indirect bidders 0.0%
  • Direct bidders 0.0%
  • Primary dealers 100.0%
This auction, 2 Dec 2021
  • Indirect bidders 60.2%
  • Direct bidders 19.4%
  • Primary dealers 20.4%
The 20-year bond auction before, 17 Nov 2021

Each point is one 20-year bond auction, this one last; pointing at the chart shows its date and figures.

Select a line to followLatest:

  • Indirect bidders0.0%
Inspect and compare dates
High yield and bid-to-cover of the last 20 20-year bond auctions, newest first
AuctionHigh yield, %Bid-to-cover
1.8722.92
2.0652.34
2.1002.25
1.7952.36
1.8502.44
1.8902.33
2.1202.40
2.2862.24
2.1442.42
2.2902.51
1.9202.15
1.6572.28
1.4702.39
1.4222.27
1.3702.43
1.2132.39
1.1852.26
1.0592.43
1.3142.63
1.2202.53

Observed .

Right now

The high yield was 1.872% on 2 December 2021, down from 2.065% at the auction before.

The bid-to-cover ratio of 2.92 was the highest of all 19 earlier 20-year bond auctions we hold.

The indirect bidders' share of 0.0% was the lowest of all 19 earlier 20-year bond auctions we hold.

Higher than 11 of the 19 since 20 May 2020

Its own history

Against the previous 12 20-year bond auctions, the bid-to-cover ratio and the primary dealers' share were higher than all 12.

The indirect bidders' share, the direct bidders' share and the high minus median were lower than all 12.

See every measure against earlier auctions

Who bought

Primary dealers took the largest share of the competitive bids accepted.

  • Indirect bidders 0.0%
  • Direct bidders 0.0%
  • Primary dealers 100.0%

Size

Treasury sold $25 million of the $25 million offered.

Bids received came to $73 million; the bid-to-cover ratio was 2.92.

Its bid-to-cover of 2.92 compares with the 12 auctions before it: lowest 2.15 on , highest 2.92 on ; 100.0% of the way from the low to the high.

2.92

Low 2.15 Midpoint 2.535 High 2.92

The security19-Year 11-Month, reopening

Coupon
2.000%
Announced
Issued
Matures

It adds to the debt that matures in November 2041.

Understanding this result

Where it stands today

The high yield was 1.872% at this 20-year bond auction, the median yield 1.865% and a bid-to-cover ratio of 2.92.

What do these figures measure?

The high yield is the highest rate Treasury accepted; every winning bidder gets it. The bid-to-cover ratio is bids received divided by the amount sold. Shares are of competitive bids accepted. High minus median shows how far the accepted cut-off sat above the middle accepted bid; it is not the market's auction tail, which needs a when-issued price that is not public.

Read more

How does it compare with the par yield curve?

The par yield curve comparison sets the high yield against Treasury's own par yield curve on the auction day, at the point nearest this security's maturity (20-year). Treasury fixes that curve from market quotes in the late afternoon, after the auction closed, so the gap mixes the auction's pricing with the afternoon's market move. It is not the auction tail either.

What these figures cannot tell

  • Why it sold where it did. Results show what was bid and accepted, not the reasons behind any bid.
  • The auction tail as markets quote it. That compares the high yield with the when-issued yield just before bids closed, a market price that is not public; we show high minus median instead, a different measure.
  • Who the bidders are. Indirect bidders include foreign and international accounts bidding through the New York Fed and investors bidding through dealers; Treasury does not publish names.
  • Demand on another day. A bid-to-cover ratio counts bids at one auction against the amount offered, and the amount offered changes from auction to auction.

The numbers behind the chart

What did Treasury publish for this auction?Every field, to the dollar
20-year bond auction of 2 December 2021: Treasury's published result, with our shares and spread marked "ours"
FieldValue
Offered as19-Year 11-Month, reopening
Offering amount$25,000,000
Bids received$72,950,000
Sold$25,000,100
Competitive bids accepted$25,000,100
Non-competitive bids accepted$0
Federal Reserve (SOMA) add-on$0
Foreign and international (FIMA) non-competitive$0
High yield, %1.872
Median rate, %1.865
Low rate, %1.810
Interest rate (coupon), %2.000
Bids at the high rate filled, %65.39
Bid-to-cover ratio2.92
Indirect bidders accepted$0
Direct bidders accepted$0
Primary dealers accepted$25,000,100
Indirect bidders' share, % (ours)0.0
Direct bidders' share, % (ours)0.0
Primary dealers' share, % (ours)100.0
High minus median, basis points (ours)0.7
Treasury par yield curve, 20-year point, same day, %1.87
High yield minus that point, basis points (ours)0.2
How does it compare with earlier auctions?The previous 12 auctions, then every window
Against the previous 12 auctions of the 20-year bond
MeasureThis auctionMedianHigherLower
Bid-to-cover ratio2.922.350 of 1212 of 12
High yield1.8721.9928 of 124 of 12
Indirect bidders' share0.060.212 of 120 of 12
Direct bidders' share0.018.812 of 120 of 12
Primary dealers' share100.021.00 of 1212 of 12
High minus median, basis points0.77.012 of 120 of 12

The table scrolls sideways; the first column stays in place.

The longer windows

Each measure against earlier 20-year bond auctions: how many were higher and lower, and their median
MeasureThis auctionWindowHigherLowerMedian
Bid-to-cover ratio2.92All 19 since 20 May 20200 of 1919 of 192.39
High yield1.872All 19 since 20 May 20208 of 1911 of 191.795
Indirect bidders' share0.0All 19 since 20 May 202019 of 190 of 1961.2
Direct bidders' share0.0All 19 since 20 May 202019 of 190 of 1916.5
Primary dealers' share100.0All 19 since 20 May 20200 of 1919 of 1921.6
High minus median, basis points0.7All 19 since 20 May 202019 of 190 of 196.0

The table scrolls sideways; the first column stays in place.

When are the figures from, and how are they cited?Dates and how to cite

Observed .

Shares of competitive bids, grades against earlier auctions and the high-minus-median spread are computed by 500metrics from Treasury's published fields.

Observed .

How to cite this

U.S. Treasury, Bureau of the Fiscal Service, Fiscal Data, Treasury Securities Auctions Data, auction of 2 December 2021. Results file: https://www.treasurydirect.gov/instit/annceresult/press/preanre/2021/R_20211202_9.pdf. Compiled by 500metrics, "20-year bond auction of 2 December 2021 (reopening)", https://500metrics.com/treasury/auctions/20-year-bond/2021-12-02.

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