Treasury auctions · 30-Year Bond
30-year bond auction of 12 May 2016 (new issue)
The 30-year bond sold $18.392 billion at a high yield of 2.615% on , with a bid-to-cover ratio of 2.19.
High yield at each 30-year bond auction
Bid-to-cover ratio at each 30-year bond auction
Who bought the 30-year bond of 12 May 2016
- Indirect bidders 59.7%
- Direct bidders 8.8%
- Primary dealers 31.5%
- Indirect bidders 65.1%
- Direct bidders 10.8%
- Primary dealers 24.1%
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 bidders59.7%
Inspect and compare dates
| Auction | High yield, % | Bid-to-cover |
|---|---|---|
| 2.615 | 2.19 | |
| 2.596 | 2.40 | |
| 2.720 | 2.33 | |
| 2.500 | 2.09 | |
| 2.905 | 2.29 | |
| 2.978 | 2.42 | |
| 3.070 | 2.41 | |
| 2.914 | 2.46 | |
| 2.980 | 2.54 | |
| 2.880 | 2.26 | |
| 3.084 | 2.23 | |
| 3.138 | 2.54 | |
| 3.044 | 2.20 | |
| 2.597 | 2.18 | |
| 2.681 | 2.18 | |
| 2.560 | 2.26 | |
| 2.430 | 2.32 | |
| 2.848 | 2.76 | |
| 3.092 | 2.29 | |
| 3.074 | 2.40 | |
| 3.240 | 2.67 | |
| 3.224 | 2.60 | |
| 3.369 | 2.40 | |
| 3.444 | 2.69 | |
| 3.440 | 2.09 | |
| 3.525 | 2.52 | |
| 3.630 | 2.35 | |
| 3.690 | 2.27 | |
| 3.899 | 2.57 | |
| 3.900 | 2.35 | |
| 3.810 | 2.16 | |
| 3.758 | 2.64 | |
| 3.820 | 2.40 | |
| 3.652 | 2.11 | |
| 3.660 | 2.26 | |
| 3.355 | 2.47 |
Observed .
Right now
The high yield was 2.615% on 12 May 2016, up from 2.596% at the auction before.
Its own history
Against the previous 24 30-year bond auctions, the indirect bidders' share was higher than 19 of the 24.
The direct bidders' share was higher than 4 of them.
Who bought
Indirect bidders took the largest share of the competitive bids accepted.
- Indirect bidders 59.7%
- Direct bidders 8.8%
- Primary dealers 31.5%
Size
Treasury sold $18.392 billion of the $15 billion offered.
Bids received came to $36.283 billion; the bid-to-cover ratio was 2.19.
Its bid-to-cover of 2.19 compares with the 24 auctions before it: lowest 2.09 on , highest 2.76 on ; 14.9% of the way from the low to the high.
Low 2.09 Midpoint 2.425 High 2.76
The security30-Year, new issue
- Coupon
- 2.500%
- Announced
- Issued
- Matures
It adds to the debt that matures in May 2046.
Understanding this result
Where it stands today
The high yield was 2.615% at this 30-year bond auction, the median yield 2.554% and a bid-to-cover ratio of 2.19.
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
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Offered as | 30-Year, new issue |
| Offering amount | $15,000,000,000 |
| Bids received | $36,283,408,900 |
| Sold | $18,392,288,900 |
| Competitive bids accepted | $14,984,696,000 |
| Non-competitive bids accepted | $15,338,800 |
| Federal Reserve (SOMA) add-on | $3,392,254,100 |
| Foreign and international (FIMA) non-competitive | $0 |
| High yield, % | 2.615 |
| Median rate, % | 2.554 |
| Low rate, % | 2.388 |
| Interest rate (coupon), % | 2.500 |
| Bids at the high rate filled, % | 17.76 |
| Bid-to-cover ratio | 2.19 |
| Indirect bidders accepted | $8,950,408,000 |
| Direct bidders accepted | $1,315,000,000 |
| Primary dealers accepted | $4,719,288,000 |
| Indirect bidders' share, % (ours) | 59.7 |
| Direct bidders' share, % (ours) | 8.8 |
| Primary dealers' share, % (ours) | 31.5 |
| High minus median, basis points (ours) | 6.1 |
| Treasury par yield curve, 30-year point, same day, % | 2.60 |
| High yield minus that point, basis points (ours) | 1.5 |
How does it compare with earlier auctions?The previous 12 auctions, then every window
| Measure | This auction | Median | Higher | Lower |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bid-to-cover ratio | 2.19 | 2.36 | 11 of 12 | 1 of 12 |
| High yield | 2.615 | 2.946 | 10 of 12 | 2 of 12 |
| Indirect bidders' share | 59.7 | 57.3 | 5 of 12 | 7 of 12 |
| Direct bidders' share | 8.8 | 10.6 | 10 of 12 | 2 of 12 |
| Primary dealers' share | 31.5 | 30.7 | 6 of 12 | 6 of 12 |
| High minus median, basis points | 6.1 | 4.6 | 4 of 12 | 7 of 12 |
The table scrolls sideways; the first column stays in place.
The longer windows
| Measure | This auction | Window | Higher | Lower | Median |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bid-to-cover ratio | 2.19 | Last 24 auctions | 20 of 24 | 4 of 24 | 2.36 |
| Bid-to-cover ratio | 2.19 | Since 8 May 2008 | 78 of 87 | 9 of 87 | 2.49 |
| Bid-to-cover ratio | 2.19 | All 94 since 8 February 2001 | 79 of 94 | 15 of 94 | 2.46 |
| High yield | 2.615 | Last 24 auctions | 19 of 24 | 5 of 24 | 2.979 |
| High yield | 2.615 | Since 8 May 2008 | 81 of 87 | 6 of 87 | 3.383 |
| High yield | 2.615 | All 161 since 1 November 1979 | 155 of 161 | 6 of 161 | 4.541 |
| Indirect bidders' share | 59.7 | Last 24 auctions | 5 of 24 | 19 of 24 | 51.8 |
| Indirect bidders' share | 59.7 | All 87 since 8 May 2008 | 5 of 87 | 82 of 87 | 40.2 |
| Direct bidders' share | 8.8 | Last 24 auctions | 20 of 24 | 4 of 24 | 11.4 |
| Direct bidders' share | 8.8 | All 87 since 8 May 2008 | 66 of 87 | 21 of 87 | 13.4 |
| Primary dealers' share | 31.5 | Last 24 auctions | 15 of 24 | 9 of 24 | 32.7 |
| Primary dealers' share | 31.5 | All 87 since 8 May 2008 | 78 of 87 | 9 of 87 | 43.9 |
| High minus median, basis points | 6.1 | Last 24 auctions | 6 of 24 | 17 of 24 | 4.7 |
| High minus median, basis points | 6.1 | Since 8 May 2008 | 28 of 87 | 57 of 87 | 4.7 |
| High minus median, basis points | 6.1 | All 161 since 1 November 1979 | 29 of 161 | 130 of 161 | 3.5 |
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 .
Observed .
How to cite this
U.S. Treasury, Bureau of the Fiscal Service, Fiscal Data, Treasury Securities Auctions Data, auction of 12 May 2016. Results file: https://www.treasurydirect.gov/instit/annceresult/press/preanre/2016/R_20160512_1.pdf. Compiled by 500metrics, "30-year bond auction of 12 May 2016 (new issue)", https://500metrics.com/treasury/auctions/30-year-bond/2016-05-12.
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