Federal Debt Crosses $40.5 Trillion After a $65 Billion One Day Jump

Treasury's Debt to the Penny series recorded $40,528,358,939,415.85 on October 26, 2026, the first reading above $40.5 trillion, after a $65.21 billion one day rise.

Treasury's Debt to the Penny series recorded $40,528,358,939,415.85 on October 26, 2026, the first reading above $40.5 trillion, after a $65.21 billion one day rise.

Direct bidders took 41.32% of Treasury's $69 billion 2-year note auction on October 26, a four-year record for the maturity, as indirect bidders fell to 45.68%.

The Fed opens a two-day meeting Tuesday. 94 of 100 economists surveyed by Reuters expect a hold at 3.75% to 4.00%, keeping the prime rate at 7.00% into December.

Treasury will auction $213 billion of 2-year, 5-year, 7-year and floating rate notes across the four days surrounding the Fed's October 28 decision, all settling November 2.

Treasury sold $26 billion of five-year TIPS on October 22 at a 2.367% high real yield, the highest for the maturity since October 2023, on a 2.41 bid-to-cover.

The 10-year Treasury yield fell 17 basis points to 4.96% on October 22, its largest one-day drop since August 2024 and its first close below 5% in a month.

The one-year Treasury yield reached 4.50% on October 19, a full 50 basis points above the Fed's 4.00% ceiling, pricing two more hikes before the October 28 FOMC vote.

Treasury auctions $13 billion of the 5-1/8% bond due August 2046 on October 21, with the 20-year yielding 5.53% against 5.48% at 30 years.

China's U.S. Treasury holdings fell to $590.7 billion in August, the lowest since August 2008, while Britain topped $1 trillion and official accounts kept selling.

Federal debt held by the public reached $32.538 trillion on October 15, the first reading above $32.5 trillion on record, after $391 billion of Treasury auctions settled that day.