Italy Sells 9 Billion Euros of Bills as Borrowing Costs Fall

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Italy sold 9 billion euros ($11.8 billion) of six-month Treasury bills, meeting its target, and borrowing costs plunged after the European Central Bank provided euro-region lenders with unlimited three-year loans last week.

The Rome-based Treasury sold the 179-day bills at a rate of 3.251 percent, down from a 14-year-high of 6.504 percent at the last auction of similar-maturity securities on Nov. 25. Investors bid for 1.7 times the amount offered, up from 1.5 times last month.