Treasury auctions · 30-Year Bond

30-year bond auction of 14 February 2013 (new issue)

The 30-year bond sold $16 billion at a high yield of 3.180% on , with a bid-to-cover ratio of 2.74.

High yield at each 30-year bond auction

The last 36 auctions, this one last

High yield at each 30-year bond auction, 11 Mar 2010 to 14 Feb 2013
High yield at each 30-year bond auction, 10 Mar 2011 to 14 Feb 2013

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, 11 Mar 2010 to 14 Feb 2013
Bid-to-cover ratio at each 30-year bond auction, 10 Mar 2011 to 14 Feb 2013

Who bought the 30-year bond of 14 Feb 2013

Shares of the competitive bids accepted

  • Indirect bidders 36.4%
  • Direct bidders 14.5%
  • Primary dealers 49.1%
This auction, 14 Feb 2013
  • Indirect bidders 37.8%
  • Direct bidders 16.7%
  • Primary dealers 45.5%
The 30-year bond auction before, 10 Jan 2013

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 bidders36.4%
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
3.1802.74
3.0702.77
2.9172.50
2.8202.77
2.9042.49
2.8962.68
2.8252.41
2.5802.70
2.7202.40
3.0902.73
3.2302.76
3.3832.70
3.2402.47
2.9852.60
2.9253.05
3.1992.40
3.1202.94
3.3102.85
3.7502.08
4.1982.80
4.2382.63
4.3802.43
4.5312.83
4.5693.02
4.7502.51
4.5152.67
4.4102.74
4.3202.31
3.8522.49
3.8202.73
3.9542.77
4.0802.89
4.1822.87
4.4902.60
4.7702.73
4.6792.89

Observed .

Right now

The high yield of 3.180% on 14 February 2013 was the highest for a 30-year bond since 12 April 2012.

Higher than 12 of the 48 since 8 May 2008

Its own history

Against the previous 24 30-year bond auctions, the bid-to-cover ratio was higher than 15 of the 24.

The high minus median was higher than 11 of them.

See every measure against earlier auctions

Who bought

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

  • Indirect bidders 36.4%
  • Direct bidders 14.5%
  • Primary dealers 49.1%

Size

Treasury sold $16 billion of the $16 billion offered.

Bids received came to $43.856 billion; the bid-to-cover ratio was 2.74.

Its bid-to-cover of 2.74 compares with the 24 auctions before it: lowest 2.08 on , highest 3.05 on ; 68.0% of the way from the low to the high.

2.74

Low 2.08 Midpoint 2.565 High 3.05

The security30-Year, new issue

Coupon
3.125%
Announced
Issued
Matures

It adds to the debt that matures in February 2043.

Understanding this result

Where it stands today

The high yield was 3.180% at this 30-year bond auction, the median yield 3.139% and a bid-to-cover ratio of 2.74.

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 14 February 2013: Treasury's published result, with our shares and spread marked "ours"
FieldValue
Offered as30-Year, new issue
Offering amount$16,000,000,000
Bids received$43,855,580,500
Sold$16,000,139,500
Competitive bids accepted$15,980,720,000
Non-competitive bids accepted$19,419,500
Federal Reserve (SOMA) add-on$0
Foreign and international (FIMA) non-competitive$0
High yield, %3.180
Median rate, %3.139
Low rate, %3.090
Interest rate (coupon), %3.125
Bids at the high rate filled, %85.20
Bid-to-cover ratio2.74
Indirect bidders accepted$5,812,860,000
Direct bidders accepted$2,315,000,000
Primary dealers accepted$7,852,860,000
Indirect bidders' share, % (ours)36.4
Direct bidders' share, % (ours)14.5
Primary dealers' share, % (ours)49.1
High minus median, basis points (ours)4.1
Treasury par yield curve, 30-year point, same day, %3.17
High yield minus that point, basis points (ours)1.0
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 ratio2.742.693 of 129 of 12
High yield3.1802.9103 of 129 of 12
Indirect bidders' share36.433.75 of 127 of 12
Direct bidders' share14.514.77 of 125 of 12
Primary dealers' share49.149.96 of 126 of 12
High minus median, basis points4.15.06 of 125 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 ratio2.74Last 24 auctions9 of 2415 of 242.69
Bid-to-cover ratio2.74Since 8 May 200814 of 4833 of 482.68
Bid-to-cover ratio2.74All 55 since 8 February 200114 of 5540 of 552.60
High yield3.180Last 24 auctions12 of 2412 of 243.160
High yield3.180Since 8 May 200836 of 4812 of 484.044
High yield3.180All 122 since 1 November 1979110 of 12212 of 1226.176
Indirect bidders' share36.4Last 24 auctions11 of 2413 of 2433.7
Indirect bidders' share36.4All 48 since 8 May 200825 of 4823 of 4836.7
Direct bidders' share14.5Last 24 auctions13 of 2411 of 2414.7
Direct bidders' share14.5All 48 since 8 May 200821 of 4827 of 4812.4
Primary dealers' share49.1Last 24 auctions12 of 2412 of 2449.9
Primary dealers' share49.1All 48 since 8 May 200823 of 4825 of 4848.9
High minus median, basis points4.1Last 24 auctions12 of 2411 of 245.0
High minus median, basis points4.1Since 8 May 200829 of 4817 of 486.0
High minus median, basis points4.1All 122 since 1 November 197935 of 12284 of 1223.0

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 14 February 2013. Results file: https://www.treasurydirect.gov/instit/annceresult/press/preanre/2013/R_20130214_1.pdf. Compiled by 500metrics, "30-year bond auction of 14 February 2013 (new issue)", https://500metrics.com/treasury/auctions/30-year-bond/2013-02-14.

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