Treasury auctions · 3-Year Note

3-year note auction of 10 May 2011 (new issue)

The 3-year note sold $32 billion at a high yield of 1.000% on , with a bid-to-cover ratio of 3.29.

High yield at each 3-year note auction

The last 36 auctions, this one last

High yield at each 3-year note auction, 9 May 2006 to 10 May 2011
High yield at each 3-year note auction, 9 Jun 2009 to 10 May 2011

Bid-to-cover ratio at each 3-year note auction

The last 36 auctions, this one last

Bid-to-cover ratio at each 3-year note auction, 9 May 2006 to 10 May 2011
Bid-to-cover ratio at each 3-year note auction, 9 Jun 2009 to 10 May 2011

Who bought the 3-year note of 10 May 2011

Shares of the competitive bids accepted

  • Indirect bidders 32.7%
  • Direct bidders 15.3%
  • Primary dealers 51.9%
This auction, 10 May 2011
  • Indirect bidders 33.7%
  • Direct bidders 8.9%
  • Primary dealers 57.4%
The 3-year note auction before, 12 Apr 2011

Each point is one 3-year note auction, this one last; pointing at the chart shows its date and figures.

Select a line to followLatest:

  • Indirect bidders32.7%
Inspect and compare dates
High yield and bid-to-cover of the last 36 3-year note auctions, newest first
AuctionHigh yield, %Bid-to-cover
1.0003.29
1.2803.25
1.2983.22
1.3493.01
1.0273.06
0.8622.91
0.5753.26
0.5692.95
0.7903.21
0.8443.31
1.0553.20
1.2203.23
1.4143.27
1.7763.10
1.4373.13
1.3772.83
1.4902.98
1.2232.98
1.4043.33
1.4452.76
1.4873.02
1.7802.89
1.5192.62
1.9602.82
1.4732.66
1.3852.42
1.4892.26
1.4192.67
1.2002.21
1.2452.15
1.8003.07
4.5742.39
4.8002.97
4.6662.27
4.8982.14
4.9952.31

Observed .

Right now

The high yield was 1.000% on 10 May 2011, down from 1.280% at the auction before.

Higher than 5 of the 30 since 10 November 2008

Its own history

Against the previous 24 3-year note auctions, the bid-to-cover ratio was higher than 22 of the 24.

The indirect bidders' share was higher than 2 of them.

See every measure against earlier auctions

Who bought

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

  • Indirect bidders 32.7%
  • Direct bidders 15.3%
  • Primary dealers 51.9%

Size

Treasury sold $32 billion of the $32 billion offered.

Bids received came to $105.258 billion; the bid-to-cover ratio was 3.29.

Its bid-to-cover of 3.29 compares with the 24 auctions before it: lowest 2.62 on , highest 3.33 on ; 94.4% of the way from the low to the high.

3.29

Low 2.62 Midpoint 2.975 High 3.33

The security3-Year, new issue

Coupon
1.000%
Announced
Issued
Matures

It adds to the debt that matures in May 2014.

Understanding this result

Where it stands today

The high yield was 1.000% at this 3-year note auction, the median yield 0.968% and a bid-to-cover ratio of 3.29.

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 (3-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
3-year note auction of 10 May 2011: Treasury's published result, with our shares and spread marked "ours"
FieldValue
Offered as3-Year, new issue
Offering amount$32,000,000,000
Bids received$105,257,874,700
Sold$32,000,041,500
Competitive bids accepted$31,974,166,800
Non-competitive bids accepted$25,874,700
Federal Reserve (SOMA) add-on$0
Foreign and international (FIMA) non-competitive$0
High yield, %1.000
Median rate, %0.968
Low rate, %0.882
Interest rate (coupon), %1.000
Bids at the high rate filled, %20.92
Bid-to-cover ratio3.29
Indirect bidders accepted$10,463,520,000
Direct bidders accepted$4,907,928,800
Primary dealers accepted$16,602,718,000
Indirect bidders' share, % (ours)32.7
Direct bidders' share, % (ours)15.3
Primary dealers' share, % (ours)51.9
High minus median, basis points (ours)3.2
Treasury par yield curve, 3-year point, same day, %1.03
High yield minus that point, basis points (ours)-3.0
How does it compare with earlier auctions?The previous 12 auctions, then every window
Against the previous 12 auctions of the 3-year note
MeasureThis auctionMedianHigherLower
Bid-to-cover ratio3.293.221 of 1211 of 12
High yield1.0001.0417 of 125 of 12
Indirect bidders' share32.738.010 of 122 of 12
Direct bidders' share15.314.15 of 127 of 12
Primary dealers' share51.945.74 of 128 of 12
High minus median, basis points3.23.46 of 126 of 12

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

The longer windows

Each measure against earlier 3-year note auctions: how many were higher and lower, and their median
MeasureThis auctionWindowHigherLowerMedian
Bid-to-cover ratio3.29Last 24 auctions2 of 2422 of 243.04
Bid-to-cover ratio3.29Since 10 November 20082 of 3028 of 303.00
Bid-to-cover ratio3.29All 46 since 6 May 20032 of 4644 of 462.79
High yield1.000Last 24 auctions19 of 245 of 241.363
High yield1.000Since 10 November 200825 of 305 of 301.381
High yield1.000All 113 since 5 May 1981108 of 1135 of 1135.550
Indirect bidders' share32.7Last 24 auctions22 of 242 of 2443.1
Indirect bidders' share32.7All 30 since 10 November 200827 of 303 of 3040.6
Direct bidders' share15.3Last 24 auctions7 of 2417 of 2411.3
Direct bidders' share15.3All 30 since 10 November 20087 of 3023 of 3010.2
Primary dealers' share51.9Last 24 auctions5 of 2419 of 2441.5
Primary dealers' share51.9All 30 since 10 November 200811 of 3019 of 3044.8
High minus median, basis points3.2Last 24 auctions18 of 246 of 244.4
High minus median, basis points3.2Since 10 November 200824 of 306 of 304.5
High minus median, basis points3.2All 113 since 5 May 198132 of 11381 of 1132.0

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 10 May 2011. Results file: https://www.treasurydirect.gov/instit/annceresult/press/preanre/2011/R_20110510_2.pdf. Compiled by 500metrics, "3-year note auction of 10 May 2011 (new issue)", https://500metrics.com/treasury/auctions/3-year-note/2011-05-10.

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