Tools › Investing › Bonds › Yield Curve and Forward Rates › Example
Treasury par yield curve of 12 November 2026: bootstrapped spot rates and implied forward rates
| Tool | Yield Curve and Forward Rates |
| Source | U.S. Department of the Treasury (2026). Daily Treasury Par Yield Curve Rates. Office of Debt Management, Washington, DC, rates of 12 November 2026. |
| Level | Undergraduate |
Problem
The Treasury's par yield curve of 12 November 2026 is given at eight maturities from 3 months to 10 years. Interpolate it to every semi-annual coupon date, bootstrap the discount factors and spot (zero-coupon) rates, and find the forward rate for the second half-year, the 1-year rate 1 year forward and the slope of the curve.
Inputs to Enter
- Par yields (%): 3 months 4.32, 6 months 4.42, 1 year 4.65, 2 years 4.86, 3 years 4.90, 5 years 4.95, 7 years 5.02, 10 years 5.10
- Semi-annual coupons and compounding (m = 2); forward start 1 year, forward length 1 year
Answers
- d_1 = 1 / (1 + 0.0442/2) = 0.978378, spot rate z_1 = 4.420 %
- d_2 = (1 − 0.0465/2 · 0.978378) / (1 + 0.0465/2) = 0.955048, z_2 = 2 (0.955048^(−1/2) − 1) = 4.653 %
- Forward rate for the second half-year f_2 = 2 (0.978378/0.955048 − 1) = 4.886 %
- 2-year discount factor 0.908301 (spot 4.867 %); 1-year rate 1 year forward = 2 [(0.955048/0.908301)^(1/2) − 1] = 5.082 %
- 10 years: par 5.100 %, spot 5.129 %, discount factor 0.602657, last half-year forward 5.431 %
- Slope: 10-year minus 2-year 0.24 points, 10-year minus 3-month 0.78 points
Notes
The tool's default inputs are this curve; press Submit. Par yields between the entered maturities are interpolated linearly; the numbers are checked against an independent numpy solution of the par-bond equations (test_yield_curve_forward_rates.php). The example is the tool's own calculation on Treasury data, not a worked example printed by the Treasury.