How Do You Calculate Yield To Maturity On A 6-Month T-Bill?
U.S. Treasury bills or “T-bills” are a class of government debt securities that mature in one year or less (one-month, three-month, six-month and 12-month terms). Unlike other securities with longer terms, T-bills don’t have coupon payments, which are guaranteed payments in addition to interest during the life of the security. Rather, T-bills are sold at a discount of what they will be worth at maturity. For example, a six-month T-bill that can be redeemed for $1,000 at maturity will be sold by the U.S. Treasury to an investor for $970 at the beginning of the term. A debt security’s “yield-to-maturity (YTM)” refers to how much of a return it will provide if held to maturity. However, YTM is usually calculated by the year. To calculate YTM for a security maturing in less than a year, you need to calculate the “Bond Yield Equivalent (BYE).” Subtract the asking price of the T-bill from its par value, the dollar amount that the T-bill will be redeemable for at maturity. Divide the answer f
