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

30-year bond auction of 10 December 2015 (reopening)

The 30-year bond sold $13 billion at a high yield of 2.978% on , with a bid-to-cover ratio of 2.42.

High yield at each 30-year bond auction

The last 36 auctions, this one last

High yield at each 30-year bond auction, 10 Jan 2013 to 10 Dec 2015
High yield at each 30-year bond auction, 12 Dec 2013 to 10 Dec 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, 10 Jan 2013 to 10 Dec 2015
Bid-to-cover ratio at each 30-year bond auction, 12 Dec 2013 to 10 Dec 2015

Who bought the 30-year bond of 10 Dec 2015

Shares of the competitive bids accepted

  • Indirect bidders 63.9%
  • Direct bidders 10.4%
  • Primary dealers 25.7%
This auction, 10 Dec 2015
  • Indirect bidders 60.3%
  • Direct bidders 10.2%
  • Primary dealers 29.6%
The 30-year bond auction before, 12 Nov 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 bidders63.9%
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
2.9782.42
3.0702.41
2.9142.46
2.9802.54
2.8802.26
3.0842.23
3.1382.54
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

Observed .

Right now

The high yield was 2.978% on 10 December 2015, down from 3.070% at the auction before.

The primary dealers' share of 25.7% was the lowest of all 82 earlier 30-year bond auctions we hold.

Higher than 15 of the 82 since 8 May 2008

Its own history

Against the previous 24 30-year bond auctions, the primary dealers' share was lower than all 24.

The indirect bidders' share was higher than 23 of them.

See every measure against earlier auctions

Who bought

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

  • Indirect bidders 63.9%
  • Direct bidders 10.4%
  • Primary dealers 25.7%

Size

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

Bids received came to $31.486 billion; the bid-to-cover ratio was 2.42.

Its bid-to-cover of 2.42 compares with the 24 auctions before it: lowest 2.09 on , highest 2.76 on ; 49.3% of the way from the low to the high.

2.42

Low 2.09 Midpoint 2.425 High 2.76

The security29-Year 11-Month, reopening

Coupon
3.000%
Announced
Issued
Matures

It adds to the debt that matures in November 2045.

Understanding this result

Where it stands today

The high yield was 2.978% at this 30-year bond auction, the median yield 2.930% and a bid-to-cover ratio of 2.42.

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 10 December 2015: 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$31,485,558,300
Sold$13,000,002,800
Competitive bids accepted$12,990,084,500
Non-competitive bids accepted$9,918,300
Federal Reserve (SOMA) add-on$0
Foreign and international (FIMA) non-competitive$0
High yield, %2.978
Median rate, %2.930
Low rate, %2.850
Interest rate (coupon), %3.000
Bids at the high rate filled, %81.27
Bid-to-cover ratio2.42
Indirect bidders accepted$8,298,857,500
Direct bidders accepted$1,349,000,000
Primary dealers accepted$3,342,227,000
Indirect bidders' share, % (ours)63.9
Direct bidders' share, % (ours)10.4
Primary dealers' share, % (ours)25.7
High minus median, basis points (ours)4.8
Treasury par yield curve, 30-year point, same day, %2.98
High yield minus that point, basis points (ours)-0.2
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 ratio2.422.294 of 128 of 12
High yield2.9782.8975 of 127 of 12
Indirect bidders' share63.951.61 of 1211 of 12
Direct bidders' share10.411.47 of 125 of 12
Primary dealers' share25.735.912 of 120 of 12
High minus median, basis points4.85.57 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 ratio2.42Last 24 auctions9 of 2415 of 242.38
Bid-to-cover ratio2.42Since 8 May 200851 of 8231 of 822.50
Bid-to-cover ratio2.42All 89 since 8 February 200152 of 8937 of 892.49
High yield2.978Last 24 auctions17 of 247 of 243.088
High yield2.978Since 8 May 200867 of 8215 of 823.484
High yield2.978All 156 since 1 November 1979141 of 15615 of 1564.620
Indirect bidders' share63.9Last 24 auctions1 of 2423 of 2449.6
Indirect bidders' share63.9All 82 since 8 May 20081 of 8281 of 8240.2
Direct bidders' share10.4Last 24 auctions18 of 246 of 2413.7
Direct bidders' share10.4All 82 since 8 May 200855 of 8227 of 8213.8
Primary dealers' share25.7Last 24 auctions24 of 240 of 2437.0
Primary dealers' share25.7All 82 since 8 May 200882 of 820 of 8245.3
High minus median, basis points4.8Last 24 auctions9 of 2415 of 244.0
High minus median, basis points4.8Since 8 May 200839 of 8242 of 824.7
High minus median, basis points4.8All 156 since 1 November 197944 of 156110 of 1563.4

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 10 December 2015. Results file: https://www.treasurydirect.gov/instit/annceresult/press/preanre/2015/R_20151210_1.pdf. Compiled by 500metrics, "30-year bond auction of 10 December 2015 (reopening)", https://500metrics.com/treasury/auctions/30-year-bond/2015-12-10.

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