The result of the latest T-bill 28 Nov 2023 (BS23123Z) auction is out. The yield climbed to 3.8%.
Given the recent trend of lower US interest rates, we were concerned that this auction would result in a lower yield. Overall, we are satisfied with this result. Let’s look further into the auction summary.
Auction Summary
We saw a higher offering of $6 billion, a slight jump from $5.3 billion from the previous auction. Here is the detailed auction summary for this T-bill 28 Nov 2023 (BS23123Z):
Higher Yield Despite Declining US Interest Rates
Going into this auction, we were worried that the result would end up with a lower yield because of the trend of declining interest rates in the US. We have seen inflation moderating in the US, and the Fed seems content with the current benchmark interest rate; therefore, the market has been pricing lower interest rates for both short- and longer-term. We are also seeing a similar trend with the Singapore government bond yield, which continues to decline this month.
However, with this auction still yielding 3.8%, we are satisfied with this result. The latest cut-off yield is consistent with the stability of T-bill yields seen this year, ranging between 3.65% and 4.2%.
Lower Demand and Full Allocation for Non-Competitive Bidders
This auction for T-bill 28 Nov 2023 (BS23123Z) saw a decline in demand. The total amount applied was $13 billion, a slight drop from $13.2 billion in the previous auction. The good news in this auction is that all non-competitive bidders got their full allocation. Yay! However, with the total non-competitive bid amount being dangerously close to the limit, we will continue to submit competitive bids going forward to ensure we can get our desired allocation.
Did you get your allocation in this auction?
T-Bill Alternatives
Fixed Deposits
Fixed deposit is the most common T-bill alternative because of its easy access to retail investors. How do fixed deposits compare to T-bills? Singapore’s current highest fixed deposit rate is only 3.6%, which is pretty underwhelming. Our three major local banks (DBS, OCBC, UOB) offered even lower interest rates; therefore, we can safely say fixed deposits in Singapore are not competitive today.
Institutional Fixed Deposits & Cash Management Accounts
The other alternative retail investors may consider is the institutional fixed deposits offered by robo-advisory platforms, such as Syfe and StashAway. Syfe, with its Cash+ Guaranteed, currently offers up to 3.8% guaranteed interest rate. StashAway Simple Guaranteed also offers up to 3.8% guaranteed. If you have access to these platforms, these can be a viable alternative to T-bills as their rates are currently quite competitive. Please note that you do not get the SDIC insurance investing through these platforms. You may also look at other cash management solutions provided by these platforms, which may not guarantee your principal but may offer higher rates.
High-Yield Savings Accounts
High-yield savings accounts can also be a viable alternative for those who can fulfill their criteria, such as crediting salary, spending credit card, buying investments, etc. Those who cannot meet their criteria must note that the effective interest rate may be much lower than advertised.
What Would We Do?
We are satisfied with the result of this T-bill auction on 23 Nov 2023 (BS23123Z). The 3.8% yield is competitive compared to other alternatives that we have covered above. We will likely continue to utilize T-bills for parking our short-term cash needs.
Additionally, since we think we may be nearing the end of this rate hike cycle, we would like to lock in these higher interest rates for a bit longer. Therefore, we also utilize Singapore Savings Bond (SSB) to park our short-term cash because it allows partial withdrawal every month without penalty (and even gets the accrued interest).
What do you think? Will you be applying for the next auction? If you plan to use CPF, you may use our CPF T-bill calculator to estimate how much more interest you may earn by investing in T-bills.
We have also written a comprehensive guide about Singapore T-bills and how to buy T-bills.
