Short-Term Rates Up in Treasury Auction

Interest rates on short-term Treasury securities rose in the Treasury’s auction.

The Treasury Department sold $16 billion in three-month bills at a discount rate of 1.900%, up from 1.815% last week. An additional $16 billion was sold in six-month bills at a rate of 1.960%, up from 1.820%.

The three-month rate was the highest since Nov. 5 when the bills sold for 1.975%. The six-month rate was the highest since Oct. 29 when the rate was 2.005%.

The new discount rates understate the actual return to investors--1.936% for three-month bills with a $10,000 bill selling for $9,952.50 and 2.006% for a six-month bill selling for $9,901.50.

In a separate report, the Federal Reserve said the average yield for one-year constant maturity Treasury bills, the most popular index for making changes in adjustable rate mortgages, rose to 2.24% last week from 1.99% the previous week.