Treasury auctions · 29-Year 11-Month Bond, reopening

30-year bond auction of 11 March 2010 (reopening)

The 30-year bond sold $13.154 billion at a high yield of 4.679% on , with a bid-to-cover ratio of 2.89.

High yield at each 30-year bond auction

The last 36 auctions, this one last

High yield at each 30-year bond auction, 12 Aug 1993 to 11 Mar 2010
High yield at each 30-year bond auction, 8 Feb 2001 to 11 Mar 2010
High yield at each 30-year bond auction, 8 May 2008 to 11 Mar 2010

Bid-to-cover ratio at each 30-year bond auction

The last 36 auctions, this one last

Bid-to-cover ratio at each 30-year bond auction, 12 Aug 1993 to 11 Mar 2010
Bid-to-cover ratio at each 30-year bond auction, 8 Feb 2001 to 11 Mar 2010
Bid-to-cover ratio at each 30-year bond auction, 8 May 2008 to 11 Mar 2010

Who bought the 30-year bond of 11 Mar 2010

Shares of the competitive bids accepted

  • Indirect bidders 23.9%
  • Direct bidders 29.6%
  • Primary dealers 46.4%
This auction, 11 Mar 2010
  • Indirect bidders 28.5%
  • Direct bidders 24.1%
  • Primary dealers 47.4%
The 30-year bond auction before, 11 Feb 2010

Each point is one 30-year bond auction, this one last; pointing at the chart shows its date and figures.

Select a line to followLatest:

  • Indirect bidders23.9%
Inspect and compare dates
High yield and bid-to-cover of the last 36 30-year bond auctions, newest first
AuctionHigh yield, %Bid-to-cover
4.6792.89
4.7202.36
4.6402.68
4.5202.45
4.4692.26
4.0092.37
4.2382.92
4.5412.54
4.3032.36
4.7202.68
4.2882.14
3.6402.40
3.5402.02
4.5992.69
4.4491.82
4.8381.97
4.8122.46
5.0801.77
4.5302.05
5.5202.16
5.4601.95
6.144–
5.298–
5.300–
5.598–
5.830–
6.207–
6.452–
6.660–
6.625–
6.778–
6.130–
6.909–
7.660–
6.430–
6.350–

Observed .

Right now

The high yield was 4.679% on 11 March 2010, down from 4.720% at the auction before.

The indirect bidders' share of 23.9% was the lowest for a 30-year bond since 8 May 2008, with 12 auctions in between.

The direct bidders' share of 29.6% was the highest of all 13 earlier 30-year bond auctions we hold.

Higher than 11 of the 13 since 8 May 2008

Its own history

The direct bidders' share was higher than all 12 previous 30-year bond auctions.

The indirect bidders' share was lower than all 12 previous 30-year bond auctions.

See every measure against earlier auctions

Who bought

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

  • Indirect bidders 23.9%
  • Direct bidders 29.6%
  • Primary dealers 46.4%

Size

Treasury sold $13.154 billion of the $13 billion offered.

Bids received came to $37.771 billion; the bid-to-cover ratio was 2.89.

Its bid-to-cover of 2.89 compares with the 12 auctions before it: lowest 2.02 on , highest 2.92 on ; 96.7% of the way from the low to the high.

2.89

Low 2.02 Midpoint 2.470 High 2.92

The security29-Year 11-Month, reopening

Coupon
4.625%
Announced
Issued
Matures

It adds to the debt that matures in February 2040.

Understanding this result

Where it stands today

The high yield was 4.679% at this 30-year bond auction, the median yield 4.645% and a bid-to-cover ratio of 2.89.

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 (30-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
30-year bond auction of 11 March 2010: Treasury's published result, with our shares and spread marked "ours"
FieldValue
Offered as29-Year 11-Month, reopening
Offering amount$13,000,000,000
Bids received$37,770,691,100
Sold$13,153,807,100
Competitive bids accepted$12,978,916,000
Non-competitive bids accepted$21,087,100
Federal Reserve (SOMA) add-on$153,804,000
Foreign and international (FIMA) non-competitive$0
High yield, %4.679
Median rate, %4.645
Low rate, %4.580
Interest rate (coupon), %4.625
Bids at the high rate filled, %82.80
Bid-to-cover ratio2.89
Indirect bidders accepted$3,104,316,000
Direct bidders accepted$3,848,000,000
Primary dealers accepted$6,026,600,000
Indirect bidders' share, % (ours)23.9
Direct bidders' share, % (ours)29.6
Primary dealers' share, % (ours)46.4
High minus median, basis points (ours)3.4
Treasury par yield curve, 30-year point, same day, %4.66
High yield minus that point, basis points (ours)1.9
How does it compare with earlier auctions?The previous 12 auctions, then every window
Against the previous 12 auctions of the 30-year bond
MeasureThis auctionMedianHigherLower
Bid-to-cover ratio2.892.381 of 1211 of 12
High yield4.6794.3862 of 1210 of 12
Indirect bidders' share23.942.412 of 120 of 12
Direct bidders' share29.67.70 of 1212 of 12
Primary dealers' share46.448.58 of 124 of 12
High minus median, basis points3.47.610 of 122 of 12

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

The longer windows

Each measure against earlier 30-year bond auctions: how many were higher and lower, and their median
MeasureThis auctionWindowHigherLowerMedian
Bid-to-cover ratio2.89Since 8 May 20081 of 1312 of 132.40
Bid-to-cover ratio2.89All 20 since 8 February 20011 of 2019 of 202.36
High yield4.679Last 24 auctions11 of 2413 of 244.620
High yield4.679Since 8 May 20082 of 1311 of 134.469
High yield4.679All 87 since 1 November 197974 of 8713 of 877.870
Indirect bidders' share23.9All 13 since 8 May 200812 of 131 of 1340.7
Direct bidders' share29.6All 13 since 8 May 20080 of 1313 of 136.9
Primary dealers' share46.4All 13 since 8 May 20089 of 134 of 1349.6
High minus median, basis points3.4Last 24 auctions16 of 248 of 244.2
High minus median, basis points3.4Since 8 May 200811 of 132 of 137.3
High minus median, basis points3.4All 87 since 1 November 197924 of 8763 of 872.0

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 11 March 2010. Results file: https://www.treasurydirect.gov/instit/annceresult/press/preanre/2010/R_20100311_1.pdf. Compiled by 500metrics, "30-year bond auction of 11 March 2010 (reopening)", https://500metrics.com/treasury/auctions/30-year-bond/2010-03-11.

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