Italy raises $6.4 billion in auction of bonds
Italy raised $6.4 billion on Wednesday in an auction of bonds coming due in 2015, 2023 and 2029.
It is with the rate demanded by investors down for the first two but up for the third.
It sold 3.5 billion euros due in 2015 at 2.64 percent from 2.86 percent last month, 816 million euros due in 2023 at 4.81 percent from 5.89 percent in July and 683 million euros due in 2029 at 5.33 percent from 5.26 percent in 2009.
The Italian treasury said all three sales were heavily over-subscribed.
The head of public debt at the treasury, Maria Cannata, earlier this week said that there had been "an improvement in the climate and a return of institutional investors" to the Italian debt market.
She said that investor fears "do not concern public finances and the debt level but rather growth and political uncertainty."
Italy is readying for a general election early next year when the reform-minded Prime Minister Mario Monti is due to step down.
