Further details about Monetary financial institutions (excluding central bank) holdings of UK government securities data

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Bankstats tables

Overview

It includes net positions, consistent with those published in Monetary financial institutions' (excluding central bank) balance sheet (Table B1.4), but extends the range of information available by also showing long and short positions. Until January 2016, these were further split into the three maturity categories; under 5 years residual maturity, 5 to 25 years residual maturity and over 25 years residual maturity. From January 2016, new series were introduced to provide additional granularity of these gilts data: a yearly breakdown for under ten years residual maturity, a five yearly breakdown for ten to thirty years residual maturity, and greater than thirty years residual maturity.

Availability

All data are available monthly, with levels data available from May 2009 and flows data available from June 2009. The data are not seasonally adjusted. Publication of data will usually occur on the 21st working day following the end of the period in Monetary financial institutions' (excluding central bank): holdings of UK government securities (Table B1.7).

Changes in a series between one period and the next may not equal the difference in amounts outstanding because they include, among others, adjustments to exclude price movements and changes in the reporting population.

Sources

Monthly data are provided directly to the Bank of England on the form GT by a selected population of UK-resident MFIs. For those MFIs who do not report, data are grossed up based on the net figures reported on form BT to provide a full population figure. All data are subject to revision if and when new information becomes available. For more information on revisions practices see further details about revisions.

Definitions

The amount of long positions reported includes all securities that are beneficially owned by MFIs, including those that have been lent or sold for a finite period with a commitment to repurchase under repo agreements. Securities that have been borrowed or purchased for a finite period with a commitment to re-sell under a reverse repo arrangement are not included in this data. However, where borrowed securities are sold without an agreement to repurchase they will be included as a short position.

Valuation and Breaks

The figures for MFIs’ transactions in UK government securities have been estimated from movements in the holdings data adjusted to exclude the estimated effect of movements in prices during each month. 

Prior to January 2016, series for twenty-five years and over residual maturity included over twenty-five years residual maturity. Similarly, prior to January 2016, series for five to under twenty-five years residual maturity included five to twenty-five years residual maturity.

Further information

Publication of new data on holdings of gilts and treasury bills by UK Monetary Financial Institutions Khanam, N (2012) Statistics article, May