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The U.S. Treasury Buyback Auctions: The Cost of Retiring Illiquid Bonds

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  • BING HAN
  • FRANCIS A. LONGSTAFF
  • CRAIG MERRILL

Abstract

We study an important recent series of buyback auctions conducted by the U.S. Treasury in retiring $67.5 billion of its illiquid off‐the‐run debt. The Treasury was successful in buying back large amounts of illiquid debt while suffering only a small market‐impact cost. The Treasury included the most‐illiquid bonds more frequently in the auctions, but tended to buy back the least‐illiquid of these bonds. Although the Treasury had the option to cherry pick from among the bonds offered, we find that the Treasury was actually penalized for being spread too thinly in the buybacks.

Suggested Citation

  • Bing Han & Francis A. Longstaff & Craig Merrill, 2007. "The U.S. Treasury Buyback Auctions: The Cost of Retiring Illiquid Bonds," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 62(6), pages 2673-2693, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:jfinan:v:62:y:2007:i:6:p:2673-2693
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1540-6261.2007.01289.x
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    Cited by:

    1. Matthias Fleckenstein & Francis A. Longstaff & Hanno Lustig, 2010. "Why Does the Treasury Issue Tips? The Tips-Treasury Bond Puzzle," NBER Working Papers 16358, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    2. Michael E. Cahill & Stefania D'Amico & Canlin Li & John S. Sears, 2013. "Duration risk versus local supply channel in Treasury yields: evidence from the Federal Reserve's asset purchase announcements," Finance and Economics Discussion Series 2013-35, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (U.S.).
    3. Goliński, Adam, 2021. "Monetary policy at the zero lower bound: Information in the Federal Reserve’s balance sheet," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 131(C).
    4. Michael A.S. Joyce & Matthew Tong, 2012. "QE and the Gilt Market: a Disaggregated Analysis," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 122(564), pages 348-384, November.
    5. Ethan Struby & Michael F. Connolly, 2023. "Treasury Buybacks, the Fed's Portfolio, and Local Supply," Working Papers 2023-02, Carleton College, Department of Economics.
    6. Kastl, Jakub, 2020. "Auctions in financial markets," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 70(C).
    7. Song, Zhaogang & Zhu, Haoxiang, 2018. "Quantitative easing auctions of Treasury bonds," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 128(1), pages 103-124.
    8. Beetsma, Roel & Giuliodori, Massimo & Hanson, Jesper & de Jong, Frank, 2020. "Determinants of the bid-to-cover ratio in Eurozone sovereign debt auctions," Journal of Empirical Finance, Elsevier, vol. 58(C), pages 96-120.
    9. D’Amico, Stefania & King, Thomas B., 2013. "Flow and stock effects of large-scale treasury purchases: Evidence on the importance of local supply," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 108(2), pages 425-448.
    10. Inaba, Kei-Ichiro, 2019. "The behaviour of bidders in quantitative-easing auctions of sovereign bonds in Japan: Determinants of the popularity of the 9 to 10-year maturity segment," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 72(C), pages 206-214.

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