Greece: strong demand for 1st bond in 4 years

[dipsydoodle]

2. Greek bond sale hailed a success after raising €3bn

Greece has made a successful return to the financial markets, raising €3bn (£2.4bn) in its first bond sale in four years.

Inside the Greek government, officials are already hailing the bond sale as "more than a triumph."

Strong demand has pushed down the yield, or interest rate, on the five-year bonds to just 4.95%, as investors scurry to take part in the debt auction. That's a lower rate of return than expected, which has pleased the Athens government.

The sight of a car bomb in Greece overnight did not deter bidders. Bankers in Greece confirmed to our Helena Smith in Athens that the order book hit the €20bn mark on Thursday morning, making it six-times oversubscribed.

http://www.theguardian.com/business/2014/apr/10/greece-raises-3bn-euro-successful-bond-sale