>When I want to check up on US markets I go here (Yahoo
>Finance)
>
> http://quote.yahoo.com/?u
>
>Where the listed price is for the 30 year and where you
>can get charts showing 5 day hourly variations, &c.
>(They also do stox).
>
>When you say "long bond" to me & I think most it means
>the 30 year. It is true that for some mysterious
>reason the 29 year and other bonds often trade at a
>premium relative to the *most recenlty issued 30
>year.* This is in spite of nearly identical gains
>(losses) on 30 and 29 year bonds in up (down) markets.
>
>You were quoting some aggegate fed index of long
>rates. Notice how the 20 year trades at a premium
>relative to the 30 year.
Liquidity, I think.
The reason I use the long composite is that data go back to 1919, while the 30-year starts only in 1977. So if you want a consistent time series of "long governments," you can't use the 30-year, unless your time horizon is two decades. Most international comparisons use the 10-year, since that's as far out as lots of important countries go.
Doug