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2-year note auction of 26 March 2013 (new issue)

The 2-year note sold $35 billion at a high yield of 0.255% on , with a bid-to-cover ratio of 3.27.

Coupon
0.250%
Announced
Issued
Matures

High yield

0.255%

Median yield 0.244%

Bid-to-cover

3.27

▼ −0.06 since 25 Feb

Sold

$35.00 billion

$35 billion offered

Indirect bidders

20.6%

Of competitive bids accepted

High yield at the last 36 2-year note auctions

High yield at each 2-year note auction, %

High yield at the last 36 2-year note auctions36 auctions from 27 April 2010 to 26 March 2013; the latest at 0.255%.0.0%0.3%0.5%0.8%1.0%1.3%2010201120122013This auction, 0.255%High yield at the last 36 2-year note auctions36 auctions from 27 April 2010 to 26 March 2013; the latest at 0.255%.0.2%0.4%0.6%0.8%2011201220130.255%

Source: U.S. Treasury, Bureau of the Fiscal Service, Fiscal Data, Treasury Securities Auctions Data. Observed .

The 36 auctions as a table
High yield and bid-to-cover of the last 36 2-year note auctions, newest first
AuctionHigh yield, %Bid-to-cover
0.2553.27
0.2573.33
0.2883.77
0.2453.59
0.2704.07
0.2954.02
0.2733.60
0.2733.94
0.2204.00
0.3133.62
0.3003.95
0.2703.76
0.3403.69
0.3103.54
0.2503.75
0.2403.45
0.2804.07
0.2813.64
0.2493.76
0.2223.44
0.4173.14
0.3953.08
0.5603.46
0.6733.06
0.7893.16
0.7453.03
0.6503.47
0.7403.71
0.5203.70
0.4003.43
0.4413.78
0.4983.12
0.6653.33
0.7383.45
0.7692.93
1.0243.03

Against its own history

Against the previous 12 auctions of the 2-year note
MeasureThis auctionMedianHigherLower
Bid-to-cover ratio3.273.7612 of 120 of 12
High yield0.2550.27310 of 122 of 12
Indirect bidders' share20.631.310 of 122 of 12
Direct bidders' share21.819.55 of 127 of 12
Primary dealers' share57.654.64 of 128 of 12
High minus median, basis points1.11.26 of 125 of 12

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

  • Bid-to-cover ratio: Lowest for a 2-year note since 26 July 2011 (19 auctions in between).

Who bought the 2-year note?

Primary dealers took 57.6% of the competitive bids accepted

Share of competitive bids accepted, %. Grey: the previous 2-year note auction, 25 February 2013

Primary dealers took 57.6% of the competitive bids acceptedIndirect bidders 20.6%, Direct bidders 21.8%, Primary dealers 57.6%Indirect bidders20.6%22.0%Direct bidders21.8%31.6%Primary dealers57.6%46.4%Primary dealers took 57.6% of the competitive bids acceptedIndirect bidders 20.6%, Direct bidders 21.8%, Primary dealers 57.6%Indirect bidders20.6%22.0%Direct bidders21.8%31.6%Primary dealers57.6%46.4%
The shares as a table
Shares of competitive bids accepted, %
BidderThis auctionPrevious
Indirect bidders20.622.0
Direct bidders21.831.6
Primary dealers57.646.4

About these figures

Treasury's full result, how to read it, its limits and sources

Treasury's published result

FieldValue
Offered as2-Year, new issue
Offering amount$35,000,000,000
Bids received$114,433,705,100
Sold$35,000,303,100
Competitive bids accepted$34,704,098,000
Non-competitive bids accepted$166,205,100
Federal Reserve (SOMA) add-on$0
Foreign and international (FIMA) non-competitive$130,000,000
High yield, %0.255
Median rate, %0.244
Low rate, %0.199
Interest rate (coupon), %0.250
Bids at the high rate filled, %90.28
Bid-to-cover ratio3.27
Indirect bidders accepted$7,157,488,000
Direct bidders accepted$7,570,000,000
Primary dealers accepted$19,976,610,000
Indirect bidders' share, % (ours)20.6
Direct bidders' share, % (ours)21.8
Primary dealers' share, % (ours)57.6
High minus median, basis points (ours)1.1
Treasury par yield curve, 2-year point, same day, %0.25
High yield minus that point, basis points (ours)0.5

Treasury's own files: announcement (PDF) · results (PDF)

How to read this result

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.

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 (2-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 this number cannot tell you

  • 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 longer windows

Each measure against earlier 2-year note auctions: how many were higher and lower, and their median
MeasureThis auctionWindowHigherLowerMedian
Bid-to-cover ratio3.27Last 24 auctions20 of 244 of 243.63
Bid-to-cover ratio3.27Since 23 April 200829 of 5930 of 593.23
Bid-to-cover ratio3.27All 158 since 27 October 199931 of 158127 of 1582.55
High yield0.255Last 24 auctions18 of 246 of 240.280
High yield0.255Since 23 April 200853 of 596 of 590.738
High yield0.255All 392 since 23 January 1980386 of 3926 of 3925.574
Indirect bidders' share20.6Last 24 auctions22 of 242 of 2431.9
Indirect bidders' share20.6All 59 since 23 April 200857 of 592 of 5933.5
Direct bidders' share21.8Last 24 auctions5 of 2419 of 2414.1
Direct bidders' share21.8All 59 since 23 April 20086 of 5953 of 5911.2
Primary dealers' share57.6Last 24 auctions7 of 2417 of 2453.1
Primary dealers' share57.6All 59 since 23 April 200824 of 5935 of 5953.7
High minus median, basis points1.1Last 24 auctions16 of 246 of 241.5
High minus median, basis points1.1Since 23 April 200851 of 596 of 592.9
High minus median, basis points1.1All 392 since 23 January 1980282 of 392106 of 3922.0

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

Sources

Source: U.S. Treasury, Bureau of the Fiscal Service, Fiscal Data, Treasury Securities Auctions Data. Observed .

Shares of competitive bids, grades against earlier auctions and the high-minus-median spread are computed by 500metrics from Treasury's published fields; how.

Source: U.S. Treasury, Daily Treasury par yield curve rates. Observed .

How to cite this

U.S. Treasury, Bureau of the Fiscal Service, Fiscal Data, Treasury Securities Auctions Data, auction of 26 March 2013. Results file: https://www.treasurydirect.gov/instit/annceresult/press/preanre/2013/R_20130326_2.pdf. Compiled by 500metrics, "2-year note auction of 26 March 2013 (new issue)", https://500metrics.com/treasury/auctions/2-year-note/2013-03-26.

Sources and licence

Sources and licence

  • U.S. Treasury, Bureau of the Fiscal Service, Fiscal Data (source). Licence: Public domain, a work of the US federal government
  • U.S. Treasury, daily par yield curve rates (source). Licence: Public domain, a work of the US federal government

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