Micro Treasury Yield Futures Contracts: a simple way to trade interest rates markets. Micro Treasury Yield Futures Contracts: a simple way to trade interest rates markets. Micro Treasury Yield Futures Contracts: a simple way to trade interest rates markets.

Micro Treasury Yield Futures Contracts: a simple way to trade interest rates markets.

Bonds
Althea Spinozzi

Head of Fixed Income Strategy

Micro Treasury Yields Futures are:

  • Traded in yield, the most widely tracked metric in US Treasury markets.
  • Cash-settled. The contracts are structured such that each basis point of yield (0.01%) equates to $10 in size.
  • Three major tenors available on the Saxo Platform: 2-year Notes, 10-year Bonds and 30-year Bonds.

Micro Treasury Yield Futures Contracts offered by the CME Group are financial derivatives designed to track the yields of recently auctioned Treasury securities across various tenor points on the yield curve. These contracts enable market participants to speculate on or hedge against movements in interest rates.

Trading in Micro Treasury Yield Futures Contracts typically occurs on regulated exchanges, such as the CME Group, where buyers and sellers come together to exchange these futures contracts. They are traded electronically, providing ease of access and liquidity to market participants.

Advantages of using Micro Treasury Yield Futures Contracts include:

  1. Precision in Position Sizing: With contracts sized at $10 per basis point of yield (0.01%), traders have the flexibility to precisely tailor their positions according to their risk tolerance and investment objectives.
  2. Cost-Effective Exposure: The smaller contract size compared to standard Treasury futures contracts allows for more cost-effective exposure to changes in Treasury yields, particularly for retail investors and smaller institutions.
  3. Curve Spreading Opportunities: The standardized nature of these contracts creates opportunities for curve spreading strategies, allowing traders to capitalize on yield differentials between different points along the Treasury yield curve.
  4. Risk Management: Micro Treasury Yield Futures Contracts can be used as a risk management tool to hedge against interest rate risk in portfolios, providing a way to mitigate potential losses resulting from adverse movements in Treasury yields.

Like all derivative instruments, there are risks associated with trading Micro Treasury Yield Futures Contracts, including market risk, liquidity risk, and execution risk, which traders need to consider before engaging in trading activities.

Micro Treasury Yield Futures Contracts in the Saxo Platform.

In the Saxo platform it is possible to find Micro Treasury bond futures for the 2-, 10- and 30-year yields in the Screener, filtering for “Contract Futures” searching for the keyword “yield”.

Open Interest can be added to one of the columns to see which contract is the most liquid. In the example below, the Micro 10-Year Yield contract with expiry April 2024 is the most liquid.

Source: Saxo Platform.

Let's dive into the specifics of the Micro 10-year yield contract expiring in April.

The trading ticker indicates a contract size of 1000 and a tick size of 0.001.

To open a position, the initial margin requirement is 10%, with a maintenance margin of 9%.

For instance, purchasing one contract at 4.649% translates to a nominal value of 4,649 USD. To open this position, a minimum of 720 USD is required. Subsequently, the maintenance margin stands at 640 USD.

A yield increase from 4.649% to 4.65% yields a one-dollar gain, while a decrease to 4.648% results in a one-dollar loss.

If the 10-year yield rises from 4.649% to 5%, a profit of 351 USD is realized.

Source: Saxo Platform.

Charts can enhance Micro Treasury Yield Futures trading.

The Saxo platform offers continuous tickers that can elevate the trading experience for Micro Treasury Yield Futures contracts. Tickers like 2YYc1, 10Yc1, and 30Yc1 correspond to the 2-year, 10-year, and 30-year US Treasury yields, respectively, serving as valuable tools for charting purposes.

Our technical analysis specialist, Kim Cramer Larsson, frequently utilizes and discusses these tickers in their analysis. To access his analysis, click here.

Source: Saxo Platform.

Risk associated with trading the Micro Treasury yield futures contracts.

  • Market Risk: Prices can fluctuate rapidly due to changes in interest rates, economic indicators, and geopolitical events.
  • Liquidity Risk: Micro contracts may have lower liquidity compared to standard contracts, leading to wider bid-ask spreads and difficulty in executing trades at desired prices.
  • Leverage Risk: Futures trading involves leverage, amplifying both potential profits and losses. This can result in substantial losses if the market moves against the trader's position.
  • Interest Rate Risk: Changes in interest rates can significantly impact the value of Treasury securities and consequently the value of futures contracts based on them.
  • Credit Risk: While US Treasury futures are considered low-risk due to the backing of the US government, there is still a small risk of default.
  • Rolling Risk: Futures contracts have expiration dates, requiring traders to roll their positions into contracts with later expiration dates. Rolling at unfavorable prices can lead to losses.
  • Systemic Risk: Events that affect the broader financial system, such as market crashes or economic recessions, can impact the value of Treasury futures contracts.
  • Currency Risk: For investors holding a currency different from the dollar, fluctuations in currency exchange rates can affect the profitability of trading Treasury futures contracts denominated in US dollars.

Other recent Fixed Income articles:

17-04 All you need to know about the upcoming 20-year US Treasury auction.
16-04 QT Tapering Looms Despite Macroeconomic Conditions: Fear of Liquidity Squeeze Drives Policy
08-Apr ECB preview: data-driven until June, Fed-dependent thereafter.
03-Apr Fixed income: Keep calm, seize the moment.
21-Mar FOMC bond takeaway: beware of ultra-long duration.
18-Mar Bank of England Preview: slight dovish shift in the MPC amid disinflationary trends.
18-Mar FOMC Preview: dot plot and quantitative tightening in focus.
12-Mar US Treasury auctions on the back of the US CPI might offer critical insights to investors.
07-Mar The Debt Management Office's Gilts Sales Matter More Than The Spring Budget.
05-Mar "Quantitative Tightening" or "Operation Twist" is coming up. What are the implications for bonds?
01-Mar The bond weekly wrap: slower than expected disinflation creates a floor for bond yields.
29-Feb ECB preview: European sovereign bond yields are likely to remain rangebound until the first rate cut.
27-Feb Defense bonds: risks and opportunities amid an uncertain geopolitical and macroeconomic environment.
23-Feb Two-year US Treasury notes offer an appealing entry point.
21-Feb Four reasons why the ECB keeps calm and cuts later.
14 Feb Higher CPI shows that rates volatility will remain elevated.
12 Feb Ultra-long sovereign issuance draws buy-the-dip demand but stakes are high.
06 Feb Technical Update - US 10-year Treasury yields resuming uptrend? US Treasury and Euro Bund futures testing key supports
05 Feb  The upcoming 30-year US Treasury auction might rattle markets
30 Jan BOE preview: BoE hold unlikely to last as inflation plummets
29 Jan FOMC preview: the Fed might be on hold, but easing is inevitable.
26 Jan The ECB holds rates: is the bond rally sustainable?
18 Jan The most infamous bond trade: the Austria century bond.
16 Jan European sovereigns: inflation, stagnation and the bumpy road to rate cuts in 2024.
10 Jan US Treasuries: where do we go from here?
09 Jan Quarterly Outlook: bonds on everybody’s lips.

Disclaimer

The Saxo Group entities each provide execution-only service and access to Analysis permitting a person to view and/or use content available on or via the website is not intended to and does not change or expand on this. Such access and use are at all times subject to (i) The Terms of Use; (ii) Full Disclaimer; (iii) The Risk Warning; (iv) the Rules of Engagement and (v) Notices applying to Saxo News & Research and/or its content in addition (where relevant) to the terms governing the use of hyperlinks on the website of a member of the Saxo Group by which access to Saxo News & Research is gained. Such content is therefore provided as no more than information. In particular no advice is intended to be provided or to be relied on as provided nor endorsed by any Saxo Group entity; nor is it to be construed as solicitation or an incentive provided to subscribe for or sell or purchase any financial instrument. All trading or investments you make must be pursuant to your own unprompted and informed self-directed decision. As such no Saxo Group entity will have or be liable for any losses that you may sustain as a result of any investment decision made in reliance on information which is available on Saxo News & Research or as a result of the use of the Saxo News & Research. Orders given and trades effected are deemed intended to be given or effected for the account of the customer with the Saxo Group entity operating in the jurisdiction in which the customer resides and/or with whom the customer opened and maintains his/her trading account. Saxo News & Research does not contain (and should not be construed as containing) financial, investment, tax or trading advice or advice of any sort offered, recommended or endorsed by Saxo Group and should not be construed as a record of our trading prices, or as an offer, incentive or solicitation for the subscription, sale or purchase in any financial instrument. To the extent that any content is construed as investment research, you must note and accept that the content was not intended to and has not been prepared in accordance with legal requirements designed to promote the independence of investment research and as such, would be considered as a marketing communication under relevant laws.

Please read our disclaimers:
- Notification on Non-Independent Investment Research (https://www.home.saxo/legal/niird/notification)
- Full disclaimer (https://www.home.saxo/en-hk/legal/disclaimer/saxo-disclaimer)

None of the information contained here constitutes an offer to purchase or sell a financial instrument, or to make any investments. Saxo does not take into account your personal investment objectives or financial situation and makes no representation and assumes no liability as to the accuracy or completeness of the information nor for any loss arising from any investment made in reliance of this presentation. Any opinions made are subject to change and may be personal to the author. These may not necessarily reflect the opinion of Saxo or its affiliates.

Saxo Capital Markets HK Limited
19th Floor
Shanghai Commercial Bank Tower
12 Queen’s Road Central
Hong Kong

Contact Saxo

Select region

Hong Kong S.A.R
Hong Kong S.A.R

Saxo Capital Markets HK Limited (“Saxo”) is a company authorised and regulated by the Securities and Futures Commission of Hong Kong. Saxo holds a Type 1 Regulated Activity (Dealing in Securities); Type 2 Regulated Activity (Dealing in Futures Contract); Type 3 Regulated Activity (Leveraged Foreign Exchange Trading); Type 4 Regulated Activity (Advising on Securities) and Type 9 Regulated Activity (Asset Management) licenses (CE No. AVD061). Registered address: 19th Floor, Shanghai Commercial Bank Tower, 12 Queen’s Road Central, Hong Kong.

Trading in financial instruments carries various risks, and is not suitable for all investors. Please seek expert advice, and always ensure that you fully understand these risks before trading. Trading in leveraged products may result in your losses exceeding your initial deposits. Saxo does not provide financial advice, any information available on this website is ‘general’ in nature and for informational purposes only. Saxo does not take into account an individual’s needs, objectives or financial situation. Please click here to view the relevant risk disclosure statements.

The Saxo trading platform has received numerous awards and recognition. For details of these awards and information on awards visit www.home.saxo/en-hk/about-us/awards.

The information or the products and services referred to on this site may be accessed worldwide, however is only intended for distribution to and use by recipients located in countries where such use does not constitute a violation of applicable legislation or regulations. Products and services offered on this website are not directed at, or intended for distribution to or use by, any person or entity residing in the United States and Japan. Please click here to view our full disclaimer.

Apple, iPad and iPhone are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the US and other countries. AppStore is a service mark of Apple Inc. Android is a trademark of Google Inc.