Treasury auctions · 30-Year Bond

30-year bond auction of 14 May 2015 (new issue)

The 30-year bond sold $16.362 billion at a high yield of 3.044% on , with a bid-to-cover ratio of 2.20.

High yield at each 30-year bond auction

The last 36 auctions, this one last

High yield at each 30-year bond auction, 14 Jun 2012 to 14 May 2015
High yield at each 30-year bond auction, 13 Jun 2013 to 14 May 2015

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, 14 Jun 2012 to 14 May 2015
Bid-to-cover ratio at each 30-year bond auction, 13 Jun 2013 to 14 May 2015

Who bought the 30-year bond of 14 May 2015

Shares of the competitive bids accepted

  • Indirect bidders 50.8%
  • Direct bidders 11.1%
  • Primary dealers 38.0%
This auction, 14 May 2015
  • Indirect bidders 51.3%
  • Direct bidders 7.0%
  • Primary dealers 41.8%
The 30-year bond auction before, 9 Apr 2015

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 bidders50.8%
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
3.0442.20
2.5972.18
2.6812.18
2.5602.26
2.4302.32
2.8482.76
3.0922.29
3.0742.40
3.2402.67
3.2242.60
3.3692.40
3.4442.69
3.4402.09
3.5252.52
3.6302.35
3.6902.27
3.8992.57
3.9002.35
3.8102.16
3.7582.64
3.8202.40
3.6522.11
3.6602.26
3.3552.47
2.9802.53
2.9982.49
3.2482.43
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

Observed .

Right now

The high yield of 3.044% on 14 May 2015 was the highest for a 30-year bond since 13 November 2014.

Higher than 16 of the 75 since 8 May 2008

Its own history

Against the previous 24 30-year bond auctions, the high minus median was higher than 21 of the 24.

The direct bidders' share was higher than 4 of them.

See every measure against earlier auctions

Who bought

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

  • Indirect bidders 50.8%
  • Direct bidders 11.1%
  • Primary dealers 38.0%

Size

Treasury sold $16.362 billion of the $16 billion offered.

Bids received came to $35.551 billion; the bid-to-cover ratio was 2.20.

Its bid-to-cover of 2.20 compares with the 24 auctions before it: lowest 2.09 on , highest 2.76 on ; 16.4% of the way from the low to the high.

2.20

Low 2.09 Midpoint 2.425 High 2.76

The security30-Year, new issue

Coupon
3.000%
Announced
Issued
Matures

It adds to the debt that matures in May 2045.

Understanding this result

Where it stands today

The high yield was 3.044% at this 30-year bond auction, the median yield 2.980% and a bid-to-cover ratio of 2.20.

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 May 2015: 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$35,551,052,800
Sold$16,361,897,800
Competitive bids accepted$15,980,095,000
Non-competitive bids accepted$13,923,700
Federal Reserve (SOMA) add-on$361,879,100
Foreign and international (FIMA) non-competitive$6,000,000
High yield, %3.044
Median rate, %2.980
Low rate, %2.900
Interest rate (coupon), %3.000
Bids at the high rate filled, %65.15
Bid-to-cover ratio2.20
Indirect bidders accepted$8,120,825,000
Direct bidders accepted$1,780,000,000
Primary dealers accepted$6,079,270,000
Indirect bidders' share, % (ours)50.8
Direct bidders' share, % (ours)11.1
Primary dealers' share, % (ours)38.0
High minus median, basis points (ours)6.4
Treasury par yield curve, 30-year point, same day, %3.03
High yield minus that point, basis points (ours)1.4
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 ratio2.202.369 of 123 of 12
High yield3.0443.0837 of 125 of 12
Indirect bidders' share50.849.24 of 128 of 12
Direct bidders' share11.114.69 of 123 of 12
Primary dealers' share38.035.43 of 129 of 12
High minus median, basis points6.44.72 of 1210 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 ratio2.20Last 24 auctions19 of 245 of 242.38
Bid-to-cover ratio2.20Since 8 May 200867 of 758 of 752.52
Bid-to-cover ratio2.20All 82 since 8 February 200168 of 8214 of 822.49
High yield3.044Last 24 auctions18 of 246 of 243.404
High yield3.044Since 8 May 200859 of 7516 of 753.640
High yield3.044All 149 since 1 November 1979133 of 14916 of 1494.720
Indirect bidders' share50.8Last 24 auctions4 of 2420 of 2444.8
Indirect bidders' share50.8All 75 since 8 May 20084 of 7571 of 7538.8
Direct bidders' share11.1Last 24 auctions20 of 244 of 2415.9
Direct bidders' share11.1All 75 since 8 May 200849 of 7526 of 7514.2
Primary dealers' share38.0Last 24 auctions14 of 2410 of 2439.8
Primary dealers' share38.0All 75 since 8 May 200863 of 7512 of 7546.1
High minus median, basis points6.4Last 24 auctions3 of 2421 of 244.1
High minus median, basis points6.4Since 8 May 200820 of 7554 of 754.7
High minus median, basis points6.4All 149 since 1 November 197921 of 149127 of 1493.1

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 May 2015. Results file: https://www.treasurydirect.gov/instit/annceresult/press/preanre/2015/R_20150514_1.pdf. Compiled by 500metrics, "30-year bond auction of 14 May 2015 (new issue)", https://500metrics.com/treasury/auctions/30-year-bond/2015-05-14.

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