Treasury auctions · 30-Year Bond

30-year bond auction of 7 February 2019 (new issue)

The 30-year bond sold $23.576 billion at a high yield of 3.022% on , with a bid-to-cover ratio of 2.27.

High yield at each 30-year bond auction

The last 36 auctions, this one last

High yield at each 30-year bond auction, 10 Mar 2016 to 7 Feb 2019
High yield at each 30-year bond auction, 9 Feb 2017 to 7 Feb 2019

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 Mar 2016 to 7 Feb 2019
Bid-to-cover ratio at each 30-year bond auction, 9 Feb 2017 to 7 Feb 2019

Who bought the 30-year bond of 7 Feb 2019

Shares of the competitive bids accepted

  • Indirect bidders 56.4%
  • Direct bidders 17.0%
  • Primary dealers 26.6%
This auction, 7 Feb 2019
  • Indirect bidders 57.3%
  • Direct bidders 15.9%
  • Primary dealers 26.7%
The 30-year bond auction before, 10 Jan 2019

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 bidders56.4%
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
3.0222.27
3.0352.19
3.1652.31
3.4182.06
3.3442.42
3.0882.34
3.0902.27
2.9582.34
3.1002.38
3.1302.38
3.0442.41
3.1092.38
3.1212.26
2.8672.74
2.8042.48
2.8012.23
2.8702.53
2.7902.21
2.8182.32
2.9362.31
2.8702.32
3.0502.19
2.9382.23
3.1702.34
3.0052.25
2.9142.32
3.1522.39
2.9022.11
2.4702.44
2.4752.13
2.2742.24
2.1722.48
2.4752.42
2.6152.19
2.5962.40
2.7202.33

Observed .

Right now

The high yield of 3.022% on 7 February 2019 was the lowest for a 30-year bond since 12 July 2018.

The indirect bidders' share of 56.4% was the lowest for a 30-year bond since 10 November 2016, with 26 auctions in between.

The direct bidders' share of 17.0% was the highest for a 30-year bond since 11 December 2014, with 49 auctions in between.

Higher than 43 of the 120 since 8 May 2008

Its own history

Against the previous 24 30-year bond auctions, the direct bidders' share was higher than all 24.

The indirect bidders' share was lower than all 24.

See every measure against earlier auctions

Who bought

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

  • Indirect bidders 56.4%
  • Direct bidders 17.0%
  • Primary dealers 26.6%

Size

Treasury sold $23.576 billion of the $19 billion offered.

Bids received came to $47.632 billion; the bid-to-cover ratio was 2.27.

Its bid-to-cover of 2.27 compares with the 24 auctions before it: lowest 2.06 on , highest 2.74 on ; 30.9% of the way from the low to the high.

2.27

Low 2.06 Midpoint 2.400 High 2.74

The security30-Year, new issue

Coupon
3.000%
Announced
Issued
Matures

It adds to the debt that matures in February 2049.

Understanding this result

Where it stands today

The high yield was 3.022% at this 30-year bond auction, the median yield 2.972% and a bid-to-cover ratio of 2.27.

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 7 February 2019: Treasury's published result, with our shares and spread marked "ours"
FieldValue
Offered as30-Year, new issue
Offering amount$19,000,000,000
Bids received$47,632,318,400
Sold$23,575,631,600
Competitive bids accepted$18,992,283,200
Non-competitive bids accepted$7,729,900
Federal Reserve (SOMA) add-on$4,575,618,500
Foreign and international (FIMA) non-competitive$0
High yield, %3.022
Median rate, %2.972
Low rate, %2.588
Interest rate (coupon), %3.000
Bids at the high rate filled, %29.24
Bid-to-cover ratio2.27
Indirect bidders accepted$10,702,873,200
Direct bidders accepted$3,229,100,000
Primary dealers accepted$5,060,310,000
Indirect bidders' share, % (ours)56.4
Direct bidders' share, % (ours)17.0
Primary dealers' share, % (ours)26.6
High minus median, basis points (ours)5.0
Treasury par yield curve, 30-year point, same day, %3.00
High yield minus that point, basis points (ours)2.2
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 ratio2.272.348 of 123 of 12
High yield3.0223.10411 of 121 of 12
Indirect bidders' share56.461.812 of 120 of 12
Direct bidders' share17.010.80 of 1212 of 12
Primary dealers' share26.627.49 of 123 of 12
High minus median, basis points5.04.33 of 129 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 ratio2.27Last 24 auctions15 of 248 of 242.32
Bid-to-cover ratio2.27Since 8 May 200891 of 12027 of 1202.41
Bid-to-cover ratio2.27All 127 since 8 February 200192 of 12733 of 1272.40
High yield3.022Last 24 auctions13 of 2411 of 243.040
High yield3.022Since 8 May 200877 of 12043 of 1203.134
High yield3.022All 194 since 1 November 1979151 of 19443 of 1944.131
Indirect bidders' share56.4Last 24 auctions24 of 240 of 2461.9
Indirect bidders' share56.4All 120 since 8 May 200840 of 12080 of 12046.1
Direct bidders' share17.0Last 24 auctions0 of 2424 of 248.2
Direct bidders' share17.0All 120 since 8 May 200826 of 12094 of 12011.2
Primary dealers' share26.6Last 24 auctions18 of 246 of 2428.4
Primary dealers' share26.6All 120 since 8 May 2008108 of 12012 of 12040.8
High minus median, basis points5.0Last 24 auctions10 of 2411 of 245.0
High minus median, basis points5.0Since 8 May 200857 of 12060 of 1204.9
High minus median, basis points5.0All 194 since 1 November 197962 of 194129 of 1944.0

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 7 February 2019. Results file: https://www.treasurydirect.gov/instit/annceresult/press/preanre/2019/R_20190207_3.pdf. Compiled by 500metrics, "30-year bond auction of 7 February 2019 (new issue)", https://500metrics.com/treasury/auctions/30-year-bond/2019-02-07.

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