Outline of Transactions for Outright Purchases of Japanese Government Bonds

As of August 31, 2016
Bank of Japan
Financial Markets Department

I. Introduction

This document is an outline of outright purchases of Japanese government bonds (JGBs), which the Bank of Japan conducts based on the "Principal Terms and Conditions for the Outright Purchase/Sale of Japanese Government Bonds." Please note that the following information may change in the future.

II. Principles

A. Location of purchases

The Bank's Head Office (Operations Department).

B. Bonds to be purchased

Among the Japanese government securities (JGSs) dealt with under the JGB Book-Entry System, those to be purchased by the Bank shall be as follows:

1.	JGBs with coupons excluding floating-rate bonds and inflation-indexed bonds.
2.	Floating-rate bonds and inflation-indexed bonds.

C. Method for auctions

1.	Method for JGBs with coupons excluding floating-rate bonds and inflation-indexed bonds: A multiple-price competitive auction under the conventional method shall be conducted for each purchase in which counterparties bid their "desired yield spreads," which are calculated by subtracting "benchmark yields" (yields which the Bank determines separately) from the yields at which counterparties seek to sell to the Bank.
2.	Method for floating-rate bonds and inflation-indexed bonds: A multiple-price competitive auction under the conventional method shall be conducted for each purchase in which counterparties bid their "desired price spreads," which are calculated by subtracting "benchmark prices" (prices which the Bank determines separately) from the prices at which counterparties seek to sell to the Bank.

Method for JGBs with coupons excluding floating-rate bonds and inflation-indexed bonds:
A multiple-price competitive auction under the conventional method shall be conducted for each purchase in which counterparties bid their "desired yield spreads," which are calculated by subtracting "benchmark yields" (yields which the Bank determines separately) from the yields at which counterparties seek to sell to the Bank.

Method for floating-rate bonds and inflation-indexed bonds:
A multiple-price competitive auction under the conventional method shall be conducted for each purchase in which counterparties bid their "desired price spreads," which are calculated by subtracting "benchmark prices" (prices which the Bank determines separately) from the prices at which counterparties seek to sell to the Bank.

III. Auction

A. Notification of auction guidelines (offer)

When conducting outright purchases of JGBs, the Bank selects auction participants from eligible counterparties and notifies them of the following matters through the Bank of Japan Financial Network System (BOJ-NET).

(a)	Total amount of offer
(b)	Issues to be purchased
(c)	Purchase date
(d)	Bid-submission cut-off date and time
(e)	Other matters deemed necessary by the Bank

B. Submission of bids

Auction participants notify the Bank of the following matters through the BOJ-NET until the bid-submission cut-off date and time notified in subsection A.

1.	For JGBs with coupons excluding floating-rate bonds and inflation-indexed bonds: Desired sale amount and yield per issue, and the total amount.
2.	For floating-rate bonds and inflation-indexed bonds: Desired sale amount and price per issue, and the total amount.

C. Acceptance of bids (notification of respective results to auction participants)

The Bank, after receiving bids as described in subsection B, accepts bids by (a) for JGBs with coupons excluding floating-rate bonds and inflation-indexed bonds, starting with the highest desired yield spread without distinguishing between issues and continuing down until the total amount of bids accepted reaches the amount offered; and (b) for floating-rate bonds and inflation-indexed bonds, starting with the lowest desired price spread without distinguishing between issues and continuing up until the total amount of bids accepted reaches the amount offered. However, the Bank reserves the right to reject all or some bids when deemed appropriate.

When accepting bids, the Bank, through the BOJ-NET, notifies auction participants who submitted bids as described in subsection B of the following matters. Here and hereinafter, those who receive such notifications will be referred to as sellers.

1.	For JGBs with coupons excluding floating-rate bonds and inflation-indexed bonds: Amount and yield at which the Bank will purchase and the purchasing price per issue.
2.	For floating-rate bonds and inflation-indexed bonds: Amount and price at which the Bank will purchase and the purchasing price per issue.

IV. Purchases of JGBs

On the purchase date notified in subsection III. A, the seller delivers JGBs to the Bank simultaneously with the Bank's payment of the purchasing price to the seller.

V. Operation Timetable

Please refer to the "Operation Timetable" for the timetable of operations described in section III and IV.

VI. Outright Purchases of JGBs

Please refer to the "Outline of Outright Purchases of Japanese Government Bonds" (released on August 31, 2016) [PDF 43KB] for the Bank's outline of outright purchases of JGBs.

VII. Other

Please refer to the "Procedures for Japanese Government Securities Delivery Failure in Japanese Government Securities-related Operations [PDF 23KB]" for measures to be taken when counterparties fail to deliver JGBs in JGSs-related operations¹.

Note 1	: "JGB-related operations" includes outright purchases of JGBs, outright purchases of treasury discount bills, and purchases/sales of JGSs with repurchase agreements.