The Reserve Bank of India on Friday announced the results of its latest government securities auction, raising a total of Rs 29,000 crore through the sale of two long dated bonds, with investor demand remaining firm and no devolvement on primary dealers.
The auction comprised 6.68% Government Security 2040 with a notified amount of Rs 16,000 crore and 6.90% Government Security 2065 for Rs 13,000 crore. Competitive bids for the 2040 paper amounted to Rs 43,917.8 crore, nearly three times the notified amount, while bids for the 2065 paper stood at Rs 31,225 crore, reflecting demand of more than twice the offer size.
The cut off price for the 6.68% GS 2040 was set at 96.23, translating into a yield of 7.1007%, while the 6.90% GS 2065 was cut off at 93.18, implying a yield of 7.4365%. The RBI accepted Rs 15,987.32 crore of competitive bids for the 2040 bond and Rs 12,994.83 crore for the 2065 bond, with partial allotment applied to select bids.
Non competitive participation was modest, with bids of Rs 12.68 crore for the 2040 security and Rs 5.17 crore for the 2065 paper, all of which were accepted. Underwriting commitments fully covered the notified amounts, and there was no devolvement on primary dealers, indicating a smooth auction outcome despite the longer maturity profile of the securities.