The Reserve Bank of India released the results of the December 12 auction for the 6.68% GS 2040 and 6.90% GS 2065 bonds, a combined sale that mobilised Rs 28,000 crore.
The 2040 bond drew 260 competitive bids worth Rs 36,063 crore, more than double the notified Rs 16,000 crore. The 2065 paper also found solid takers with 170 bids totalling Rs 32,398 crore against the Rs 12,000 crore on offer.
The cut-off came in at a price of 96.88 on the 2040 bond, implying a yield of 7.0250%. For the longer 2065 paper, the cut-off settled at 93.21, translating into a yield of 7.4340%. Traders noted the slight firmness in long-end yields, which remain sensitive to shifting expectations on global rate paths.
The RBI took in 116 competitive bids for the 2040 bond amounting to Rs 15,985.19 crore, applying partial allotment of 25.4% on 25 bids. The ultra-long 2065 bond saw only nine bids accepted for Rs 11,954.74 crore, with a tiny 0.8464% partial allotment applied to just three bids, underlining the tight cut-off zone.
Weighted average yields landed a touch below the cut-offs, coming in at 7.0204% for the 2040 and 7.4223% for the 2065 bond, hinting at steady bidding interest deeper in the book.
Non-competitive participation remained modest but orderly. Both securities received eight bids each, totalling Rs 14.81 crore for the 2040 and Rs 45.26 crore for the 2065, all of which were fully allotted.
Underwriting commitments matched the full notified amounts, and primary dealers escaped devolvement on both lines, keeping the auction clean.