Gary Siegel

The Treasury Department Thursday auctioned $18 billion of four-year four-month inflation-indexed notes with a 0.125% coupon, a negative 1.311% high yield, an adjusted price of 107.8205710.

The Treasury Department said it will auction $29 billion seven-year notes on Thursday, April 25.

The Treasury Department said Thursday it will auction $32 billion 91-day bills and $28 billion 182-day discount bills Monday.

The region's manufacturing sector expanded in April, as the general business conditions index slipped to 1.3 from 2.0 in March, this month's Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia Report on Business indicates.

The composite index of Leading Economic Indicators fell 0.1% in March following an unrevised 0.5% increase in February, the Conference Board reported Thursday.

The Federal Open Market Committee will need to keep real interest rates "unusually low" for the next five to 10 years as a result of "dramatic changes in the demand for and supply of safe assets," Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis President Narayana Kocherlakota said Thursday.

Broker-dealers' solvency needs to be examined, according to Federal Reserve Bank of Boston President & Chief Executive Officer Eric S. Rosengren, who stressed "the need for more regulatory focus on broker-dealers."

The Treasury Department Tuesday auctioned $45 billion of four-week bills at a 0.050% high yield, a price of 99.996111.

Industrial production rose 0.4% in March after a revised 1.1% gain in February, first reported as a 0.8% increase, while capacity utilization edged up to 78.5% from an unrevised 78.3% in February, the Federal Reserve reported Tuesday.

The benefits of the Fed's asset purchases still exceed the costs, Federal Reserve Bank of New York President and Chief Executive Officer William C. Dudley, reiterated Tuesday.

The exit strategy principles the Federal Open Market Committee suggested in June 2011 are still valid, and Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia President and Chief Executive Officer Charles I. Plosser said Tuesday, especially using the federal funds rate as the main policy instrument.

Tender rates for the Treasury Department's latest 91-day and 182-day discount bills were lower, as the three-months incurred a 0.055% high rate, down from 0.065% the prior week, and the six-months incurred a 0.090% high rate, off from 0.095% the week before.

The Treasury Department said Monday it will sell $45 billion of four-week discount bills Tuesday.

Builders' confidence in the market for new single-family homes slipped as the National Association of Home Builders' housing market index fell to 42 in April from 44 in March.

The Empire State Manufacturing Survey showed "conditions for New York manufacturers continued to improve slightly," the Federal Reserve Bank of New York reported Monday as the general business conditions index slipped to 3.05 in April from 9.24 in March.

The University of Michigan's preliminary April consumer sentiment index reading was 72.3, compared to the final March 78.6, the preliminary March 71.8, and the final February 77.6, according to market sources.

The Fed's failure to achieve either part of its dual mandate provides clear evidence of the need for "continuing highly accommodative policy by large-scale asset purchases," Federal Reserve Bank of Boston President Eric Rosengren said Friday.

The producer price index slumped 0.6% in March on a seasonally adjusted basis, while the core rate, which excludes food and energy rose 0.2%, the Labor Department reported Friday.

The Treasury Department Thursday auctioned $13 billion of 29-year 10-month bonds with a 3 1/8% coupon at a 2.998% high yield, a price of 102.487803.

The Treasury Department said it will auction $18 billion five-year inflation-indexed bonds on Thursday, April 18.