Treasury auctions · 5-Year Note

5-year note auction of 27 May 2009 (new issue)

The 5-year note sold $36.206 billion at a high yield of 2.310% on , with a bid-to-cover ratio of 2.32.

High yield at each 5-year note auction

The last 36 auctions, this one last

High yield at each 5-year note auction, 28 Jun 2006 to 27 May 2009
High yield at each 5-year note auction, 30 May 2007 to 27 May 2009

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, 28 Jun 2006 to 27 May 2009
Bid-to-cover ratio at each 5-year note auction, 30 May 2007 to 27 May 2009

Who bought the 5-year note of 27 May 2009

Shares of the competitive bids accepted

  • Indirect bidders 44.2%
  • Direct bidders 2.8%
  • Primary dealers 53.0%
This auction, 27 May 2009
  • Indirect bidders 30.8%
  • Direct bidders 2.3%
  • Primary dealers 66.9%
The 5-year note auction before, 28 Apr 2009

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 bidders44.2%
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
2.3102.32
1.9402.22
1.8492.02
1.9852.21
1.8201.98
1.5392.06
2.1102.44
2.8252.28
3.1291.91
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

Observed .

Right now

The high yield of 2.310% on 27 May 2009 was the highest for a 5-year note since 30 October 2008.

Higher than 6 of the 13 since 24 April 2008

Its own history

The indirect bidders' share was higher than 11 of the previous 12 5-year note auctions.

The primary dealers' share was higher than 1 of the previous 12 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 44.2%
  • Direct bidders 2.8%
  • Primary dealers 53.0%

Size

Treasury sold $36.206 billion of the $35 billion offered.

Bids received came to $82.499 billion; the bid-to-cover ratio was 2.32.

Its bid-to-cover of 2.32 compares with the 24 auctions before it: lowest 1.65 on , highest 2.86 on ; 55.4% of the way from the low to the high.

2.32

Low 1.65 Midpoint 2.255 High 2.86

The security5-Year, new issue

Coupon
2.250%
Announced
Issued
Matures

It adds to the debt that matures in May 2014.

Understanding this result

Where it stands today

The high yield was 2.310% at this 5-year note auction, the median yield 2.249% and a bid-to-cover ratio of 2.32.

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 27 May 2009: Treasury's published result, with our shares and spread marked "ours"
FieldValue
Offered as5-Year, new issue
Offering amount$35,000,000,000
Bids received$82,499,330,500
Sold$36,206,117,700
Competitive bids accepted$34,889,037,200
Non-competitive bids accepted$111,003,400
Federal Reserve (SOMA) add-on$1,206,077,100
Foreign and international (FIMA) non-competitive$0
High yield, %2.310
Median rate, %2.249
Low rate, %2.000
Interest rate (coupon), %2.250
Bids at the high rate filled, %44.97
Bid-to-cover ratio2.32
Indirect bidders accepted$15,436,657,700
Direct bidders accepted$977,497,000
Primary dealers accepted$18,474,882,500
Indirect bidders' share, % (ours)44.2
Direct bidders' share, % (ours)2.8
Primary dealers' share, % (ours)53.0
High minus median, basis points (ours)6.1
Treasury par yield curve, 5-year point, same day, %2.43
High yield minus that point, basis points (ours)-12.0
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 ratio2.322.183 of 129 of 12
High yield2.3102.4686 of 126 of 12
Indirect bidders' share44.229.91 of 1211 of 12
Direct bidders' share2.81.42 of 1210 of 12
Primary dealers' share53.067.411 of 121 of 12
High minus median, basis points6.16.26 of 126 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 ratio2.32Last 24 auctions8 of 2416 of 242.24
Bid-to-cover ratio2.32Since 24 April 20083 of 1310 of 132.14
Bid-to-cover ratio2.32All 90 since 28 September 199439 of 9050 of 902.28
High yield2.310Last 24 auctions18 of 246 of 243.144
High yield2.310Since 24 April 20087 of 136 of 132.825
High yield2.310All 186 since 24 January 1991179 of 1867 of 1865.232
Indirect bidders' share44.2All 13 since 24 April 20081 of 1312 of 1329.8
Direct bidders' share2.8All 13 since 24 April 20082 of 1311 of 131.2
Primary dealers' share53.0All 13 since 24 April 200812 of 131 of 1368.0
High minus median, basis points6.1Last 24 auctions7 of 2417 of 244.0
High minus median, basis points6.1Since 24 April 20087 of 136 of 136.6
High minus median, basis points6.1All 186 since 24 January 19918 of 186178 of 1862.4

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 27 May 2009. Results file: https://www.treasurydirect.gov/instit/annceresult/press/preanre/2009/R_20090527_2.pdf. Compiled by 500metrics, "5-year note auction of 27 May 2009 (new issue)", https://500metrics.com/treasury/auctions/5-year-note/2009-05-27.

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