If you are interested in trading 5 Year T-Note futures it is helpful to become
familiar with the history of the 5 Year T-Note market. A 5-year Treasury Note represents debt owed by the United States
Treasury to the public. A 5-year Treasury Note is issued with a defined rate of interest, or coupon rate. The yield of a treasury
note is determined during auction purchase. In a noncompetitive bid, one accepts the yield given at the auction. A competitive
bid allows the buyer to specify the yield he or she is willing to accept, but the bid isn't guaranteed to be accepted.
Every year, holders of the 5-year Treasury Note receive the coupon rate from
the Treasury. After ten years, the 5-year Treasury Note matures and the owner is paid the face value. The percentage of that
total payment that exceeds the 5-year Treasury Note's market price, annualized, is called the yield. When the current market
price for the 5-year Treasury note rises, the yield for the 5-year Treasury Note falls, and vise versa.
U.S. Treasury Bonds and shorter-dated Treasury
Notes can trade in a cash secondary market, however most US Treasury Bonds and other U.S. Government securities are traded
as futures contracts on the CME futures exchange.
