As a result, late trading found few price changes among short- or long-term Treasury issues.

The 7.73-year issue was at 10 1/8 percent, or 68 basis points over Treasury issues.

Only Treasury issues, with a total return of 15.8 percent, have done better.

The spread over similar Treasury issues at that time was 52-hundredths of a percentage point.

Interest rates were little changed yesterday for most Treasury issues.

The average maturity of the Treasury issues they bought was five years, he said.

By late in the day, the 30-year Treasury issue was up about a half a point to 100 19/32, to yield 8.43 percent.

By late in the day the interest rates on the 30-year Treasury issue were up slightly.

Yields on the key 30-year Treasury issue rose above 9 percent.

"The readers said we want to read more about cash management and Treasury issues."