Treasury auctions · 5-Year Note

5-year note auction of 28 August 2008 (new issue)

The 5-year note sold $23.835 billion at a high yield of 3.129% on , with a bid-to-cover ratio of 2.14.

High yield at each 5-year note auction

The last 36 auctions, this one last

High yield at each 5-year note auction, 7 Sep 2005 to 28 Aug 2008
High yield at each 5-year note auction, 30 Aug 2006 to 28 Aug 2008

Bid-to-cover ratio at each 5-year note auction

The last 36 auctions, this one last

Bid-to-cover ratio at each 5-year note auction, 7 Sep 2005 to 28 Aug 2008
Bid-to-cover ratio at each 5-year note auction, 30 Aug 2006 to 28 Aug 2008

Who bought the 5-year note of 28 Aug 2008

Shares of the competitive bids accepted

  • Indirect bidders 29.8%
  • Direct bidders 0.7%
  • Primary dealers 69.5%
This auction, 28 Aug 2008
  • Indirect bidders 33.1%
  • Direct bidders 0.9%
  • Primary dealers 66.0%
The 5-year note auction before, 24 Jul 2008

Each point is one 5-year note auction, this one last; pointing at the chart shows its date and figures.

Select a line to followLatest:

  • Indirect bidders29.8%
Inspect and compare dates
High yield and bid-to-cover of the last 36 5-year note auctions, newest first
AuctionHigh yield, %Bid-to-cover
3.1292.14
3.4402.46
3.4402.48
3.5201.84
3.1591.65
2.5951.98
2.7552.29
2.9092.16
3.6512.31
3.4152.26
3.9932.69
4.2502.86
4.2482.74
4.6402.15
4.9402.73
4.8182.60
4.5792.29
4.5352.14
4.7192.43
4.8552.21
4.7042.50
4.5072.28
4.6942.12
4.5692.75
4.7383.11
4.9952.28
5.2032.05
4.9452.02
4.9641.87
4.7852.25
4.6222.18
4.3702.10
4.4352.38
4.5252.61
4.2702.75
3.9022.61

Observed .

Right now

The high yield was 3.129% on 28 August 2008, down from 3.440% at the auction before.

Its own history

The high minus median was higher than 23 of the previous 24 5-year note auctions.

The high yield was higher than 3 of the previous 24 5-year note auctions.

See every measure against earlier auctions

Who bought

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

  • Indirect bidders 29.8%
  • Direct bidders 0.7%
  • Primary dealers 69.5%

Size

Treasury sold $23.835 billion of the $22 billion offered.

Bids received came to $48.909 billion; the bid-to-cover ratio was 2.14.

Its bid-to-cover of 2.14 compares with the 24 auctions before it: lowest 1.65 on , highest 3.11 on ; 33.6% of the way from the low to the high.

2.14

Low 1.65 Midpoint 2.380 High 3.11

The security5-Year, new issue

Coupon
3.125%
Announced
Issued
Matures

It adds to the debt that matures in August 2013.

Understanding this result

Where it stands today

The high yield was 3.129% at this 5-year note auction, the median yield 3.070% and a bid-to-cover ratio of 2.14.

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 (5-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
5-year note auction of 28 August 2008: Treasury's published result, with our shares and spread marked "ours"
FieldValue
Offered as5-Year, new issue
Offering amount$22,000,000,000
Bids received$48,909,036,300
Sold$23,834,796,300
Competitive bids accepted$21,850,760,000
Non-competitive bids accepted$124,263,600
Federal Reserve (SOMA) add-on$1,834,772,700
Foreign and international (FIMA) non-competitive$25,000,000
High yield, %3.129
Median rate, %3.070
Low rate, %3.000
Interest rate (coupon), %3.125
Bids at the high rate filled, %95.36
Bid-to-cover ratio2.14
Indirect bidders accepted$6,521,000,000
Direct bidders accepted$145,000,000
Primary dealers accepted$15,184,760,000
Indirect bidders' share, % (ours)29.8
Direct bidders' share, % (ours)0.7
Primary dealers' share, % (ours)69.5
High minus median, basis points (ours)5.9
Treasury par yield curve, 5-year point, same day, %3.09
High yield minus that point, basis points (ours)3.9
How does it compare with earlier auctions?The previous 12 auctions, then every window
Against the previous 12 auctions of the 5-year note
MeasureThis auctionMedianHigherLower
Bid-to-cover ratio2.142.309 of 123 of 12
High yield3.1293.4409 of 123 of 12
Indirect bidders' share29.825.01 of 43 of 4
Direct bidders' share0.70.52 of 42 of 4
Primary dealers' share69.574.73 of 41 of 4
High minus median, basis points5.93.01 of 1211 of 12

The table scrolls sideways; the first column stays in place.

The longer windows

Each measure against earlier 5-year note auctions: how many were higher and lower, and their median
MeasureThis auctionWindowHigherLowerMedian
Bid-to-cover ratio2.14Last 24 auctions19 of 244 of 242.30
Bid-to-cover ratio2.14Since 24 April 20082 of 42 of 42.15
Bid-to-cover ratio2.14All 81 since 28 September 199456 of 8124 of 812.29
High yield3.129Last 24 auctions21 of 243 of 244.378
High yield3.129Since 24 April 20084 of 40 of 43.440
High yield3.129All 177 since 24 January 1991167 of 17710 of 1775.367
Indirect bidders' share29.8All 4 since 24 April 20081 of 43 of 425.0
Direct bidders' share0.7All 4 since 24 April 20082 of 42 of 40.5
Primary dealers' share69.5All 4 since 24 April 20083 of 41 of 474.7
High minus median, basis points5.9Last 24 auctions1 of 2423 of 242.3
High minus median, basis points5.9Since 24 April 20081 of 43 of 45.2
High minus median, basis points5.9All 177 since 24 January 19914 of 177173 of 1772.4

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 28 August 2008. Results file: https://www.treasurydirect.gov/instit/annceresult/press/preanre/2008/R_20080828_1.pdf. Compiled by 500metrics, "5-year note auction of 28 August 2008 (new issue)", https://500metrics.com/treasury/auctions/5-year-note/2008-08-28.

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