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

20-year bond auction of 17 December 2024 (reopening)

The 20-year bond sold $13.128 billion at a high yield of 4.686% on , with a bid-to-cover ratio of 2.50.

High yield at each 20-year bond auction

The last 36 auctions, this one last

High yield at each 20-year bond auction, 19 Jan 2022 to 17 Dec 2024
High yield at each 20-year bond auction, 21 Dec 2022 to 17 Dec 2024

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

The last 36 auctions, this one last

Bid-to-cover ratio at each 20-year bond auction, 19 Jan 2022 to 17 Dec 2024
Bid-to-cover ratio at each 20-year bond auction, 21 Dec 2022 to 17 Dec 2024

Who bought the 20-year bond of 17 Dec 2024

Shares of the competitive bids accepted

  • Indirect bidders 62.0%
  • Direct bidders 20.1%
  • Primary dealers 17.9%
This auction, 17 Dec 2024
  • Indirect bidders 69.5%
  • Direct bidders 7.9%
  • Primary dealers 22.6%
The 20-year bond auction before, 20 Nov 2024

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 bidders62.0%
Inspect and compare dates
High yield and bid-to-cover of the last 36 20-year bond auctions, newest first
AuctionHigh yield, %Bid-to-cover
4.6862.50
4.6802.34
4.5902.59
4.0392.51
4.1602.54
4.4662.68
4.4522.74
4.6352.51
4.8182.82
4.5422.79
4.5952.39
4.4232.53
4.2132.55
4.7802.58
5.2452.59
4.5922.74
4.4992.56
4.0362.68
4.0102.87
3.9542.56
3.9202.66
3.9092.53
3.9772.54
3.6782.83
3.9352.68
4.0722.64
4.3952.50
3.8202.65
3.3802.30
3.4202.65
3.4882.60
3.2902.50
3.0952.80
2.6512.72
2.3962.44
2.2102.48

Observed .

Right now

The high yield of 4.686% on 17 December 2024 was the highest for a 20-year bond since 17 April 2024.

Higher than 53 of the 56 since 20 May 2020

Its own history

Against the previous 24 20-year bond auctions, the high yield was higher than 21 of the 24.

The indirect bidders' share was higher than 1 of them.

See every measure against earlier auctions

Who bought

Indirect bidders took the largest share of the competitive bids accepted.

  • Indirect bidders 62.0%
  • Direct bidders 20.1%
  • Primary dealers 17.9%

Size

Treasury sold $13.128 billion of the $13 billion offered.

Bids received came to $32.613 billion; the bid-to-cover ratio was 2.50.

Its bid-to-cover of 2.50 compares with the 24 auctions before it: lowest 2.34 on , highest 2.87 on ; 30.2% of the way from the low to the high.

2.50

Low 2.34 Midpoint 2.605 High 2.87

The security19-Year 11-Month, reopening

Coupon
4.625%
Announced
Issued
Matures

It adds to the debt that matures in November 2044.

Understanding this result

Where it stands today

The high yield was 4.686% at this 20-year bond auction, the median yield 4.622% and a bid-to-cover ratio of 2.50.

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 17 December 2024: Treasury's published result, with our shares and spread marked "ours"
FieldValue
Offered as19-Year 11-Month, reopening
Offering amount$13,000,000,000
Bids received$32,613,232,900
Sold$13,127,872,900
Competitive bids accepted$12,922,410,000
Non-competitive bids accepted$77,591,600
Federal Reserve (SOMA) add-on$127,871,300
Foreign and international (FIMA) non-competitive$0
High yield, %4.686
Median rate, %4.622
Low rate, %2.880
Interest rate (coupon), %4.625
Bids at the high rate filled, %81.64
Bid-to-cover ratio2.50
Indirect bidders accepted$8,006,770,000
Direct bidders accepted$2,602,000,000
Primary dealers accepted$2,313,640,000
Indirect bidders' share, % (ours)62.0
Direct bidders' share, % (ours)20.1
Primary dealers' share, % (ours)17.9
High minus median, basis points (ours)6.4
Treasury par yield curve, 20-year point, same day, %4.68
High yield minus that point, basis points (ours)0.6
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 ratio2.502.5410 of 122 of 12
High yield4.6864.5041 of 1211 of 12
Indirect bidders' share62.070.111 of 121 of 12
Direct bidders' share20.117.42 of 1210 of 12
Primary dealers' share17.911.53 of 129 of 12
High minus median, basis points6.46.25 of 127 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 ratio2.50Last 24 auctions22 of 242 of 242.58
Bid-to-cover ratio2.50All 56 since 20 May 202033 of 5621 of 562.53
High yield4.686Last 24 auctions3 of 2421 of 244.438
High yield4.686All 56 since 20 May 20203 of 5653 of 563.454
Indirect bidders' share62.0Last 24 auctions23 of 241 of 2470.7
Indirect bidders' share62.0All 56 since 20 May 202042 of 5614 of 5666.3
Direct bidders' share20.1Last 24 auctions6 of 2418 of 2418.0
Direct bidders' share20.1All 56 since 20 May 202012 of 5644 of 5617.6
Primary dealers' share17.9Last 24 auctions3 of 2421 of 249.9
Primary dealers' share17.9All 56 since 20 May 202021 of 5635 of 5614.6
High minus median, basis points6.4Last 24 auctions12 of 2412 of 246.4
High minus median, basis points6.4All 56 since 20 May 202028 of 5628 of 566.4

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 17 December 2024. Results file: https://www.treasurydirect.gov/instit/annceresult/press/preanre/2024/R_20241217_2.pdf. Compiled by 500metrics, "20-year bond auction of 17 December 2024 (reopening)", https://500metrics.com/treasury/auctions/20-year-bond/2024-12-17.

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