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AUCTIONS & SUPPLY · BOND MARKET ANSWER

What is a tail in a bond auction?

An auction is commonly described as tailing when the awarded yield is higher than the yield indicated in the market immediately before the auction.

SHORT ANSWER

The core idea

An auction is commonly described as tailing when the awarded yield is higher than the yield indicated in the market immediately before the auction.

THE MECHANISM

What is happening underneath

A tail suggests the new supply required a concession to clear.

MARKET INTERPRETATION

How investors should read it

The size and meaning of a tail should be judged relative to normal auction volatility for that security.

BONDSTATS TAKEAWAY

The same market move can carry different information depending on which maturity, issuer and risk premium is changing. Read the question together with the underlying concepts rather than treating one price move as a universal signal.

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