Forum Views ()
Forum Replies ()
Read more with google mobile :
Greece attracts strong treasury bill demand
Yahoo!
My Yahoo!
Mail
More Yahoo! Services
Account Options
New User? Sign Up
Sign In
Help
Yahoo! Search
web search
Home
Singapore
Asia Pacific
World
Business
Entertainment
Sports
Technology
Top Stories
Most Popular
Photos
Sitemap
Greece attracts strong treasury bill demand
AFP - 2 hours 49 minutes ago
Send
IM Story
Print
ATHENS (AFP) - – Greece on Tuesday drew strong demand for a test debt issue but had to offer high interest rates despite a stand-by rescue guarantee from the eurozone on Sunday.
Dangling a return of over more than 4.0 percent, Athens raised 1.56 billion euros (2.12 billion dollars) from six-month and one-year treasury bills compared to an initial target of 1.2 billion euros.
Greek officials hailed the issue as a success, pointing to offers worth 3.9 billion euros for the six-month bills and 4.6 billion euros for the one-year version.
But the yield, or rate, on both issues was far higher than the return on similar issues in January, although the levels were a sharp improvement on recent market quotes.
Finance Minister George Papaconstantinou said the sale showed that Athens was able to meet its borrowing goals "without hindrance".
He told parliament: "Our target is, and we believe we will continue on this course, to be able to borrow without hindrance on the markets, as we did today with the treasury bills."
The yield or interest rate paid on the six-month bill will be 4.55 percent and higher at 4.85 percent on the one-year bill.
The last time Athens offered a six-month T-bill, in January, the rate was 1.38 percent with 2.20 percent paid on the one-year paper.
Treasury bills are usually issued by governments to cover short-term financing needs.
The loan drive is Greece's first after its eurozone partners offered on Sunday to lend Athens 30 billion euros (41 billion dollars) this year at a preferential rate below market quotes in order to calm fears of a default.
Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou said on Tuesday that the EU fall-back loan, which would also involve the International Monetary Fund, would allow the recession-hit country to focus on overhauling its economy.
"Regardless of whether we use this mechanism or not -- and this is something that will be evaluated -- this is a safety net for our country which will allow us to do our work with greater peace of mind," he told a cabinet meeting.
He had noted on Monday that a decision to activate the EU-backed loan would take "some time" and would depend on a variety of factors, not just borrowing costs.
"We can activate it at any given moment. That is to be evaluated, which cannot happen in a day, it will take some time to evaluate if we need to activate it, and of course this will be linked to various factors," he had said.
The prime minister warned ministers on Tuesday to avoid commenting on the economy after conflicting statements from senior officials in recent weeks had added to the confusion surrounding Greece's debt strategy.
"I would generally request that we refrain from acting as analysts and commentators, let us leave that to journalists," the PM said.
The European bailout pledge has helped defuse the Greek financial crisis and should prevent Greece from becoming a target for market speculators, Austrian central bank chief Ewald Nowotny said on Tuesday.
Europe's decision to provide a financial rescue package for debt-stricken Greece, "has clearly defused what is a very difficult situation," Nowotny, who sits on the European Central Bank's decision-making board of governors, told Austrian news agency APA.
It would help counter financial market speculation against Greece, Nowotny added.
But in London, a research associate at the London School of Economics, Peter Boone, commented that the Greek government's programme was "not nearly enough to calm markets" and was "striking only for its lack of credibility."
Greece's total debts were last tallied at about 300 billion euros.
Athens has to find around 11.5 billion euros by next month, part of about 54 billion euros needed for all this year to cover debt and budget needs.
The gap, or spread, between Greek and German 10-year bonds last week soared to a record high point above 7.5 percent but on Monday declined after details of the EU support mechanism became known.
Recommend
Send
IM Story
Print
News Search
Top Stories
US trade deficit widens in February
Greece attracts strong treasury bill demand
Oil price surge threatens economic recovery: IEA
World nuclear summit confronts 'growing' threat
Dow closes above 11,000 for first time in 18 months
More Top Stories »
ADVERTISEMENT
Most Popular
Most Viewed
Most Recommended
World nuclear summit confronts 'growing' threat
Dow closes above 11,000 for first time in 18 months
Fresh doubts hit Europe's Greek bailout offer
Mickelson wins Masters while Tiger shares fourth
Oil price surge threatens economic recovery: IEA
More Most Viewed »
Two-million-year-old hominid sheds light on evolution
Taiwan's male 'Susan Boyle' a web sensation
Junkies and junk-food addicts share craving mechanism
Toad is a telltale for impending quakes: scientists
More Most Recommended »
Elsewhere on Yahoo!
Financial news on Yahoo! Finance
Stars and latest movies
Best travel destinations
More on Yahoo! News
Home
Singapore
Asia Pacific
World
Business
Entertainment
Sports
Technology
Subscribe to our news feeds
Top StoriesMy Yahoo!RSS
» More news feeds | What are news feeds?
Also on Yahoo
Answers
Groups
Mail
Messenger
Mobile
Travel
Finance
Movies
Sports
Games
» All Yahoo! Services
Site Highlights
Singapore
Full Coverage
Most Popular
Asia Entertainment
Photos
World Cup 2010
Copyright © 2010 Yahoo! Southeast Asia Pte. Ltd. (Co. Reg. No. 199700735D). All Rights Reserved.
Terms of Service |
Privacy Policy |
Community |
Intellectual Property Rights Policy |
Help
Other News on Tuesday, 13 April 2010 Taliban threaten to kill French journalist hostages
Afghan fury after US troops kill four civilians
Fresh doubts hit Europe's Greek bailout offer
Microsoft unveils new mobile phones for young consumers
US-TECH Summary
Best Buy to sell Barnes & Noble's Nook e-reader
Poland crash pilots had been warned: investigators
Microsoft launches Kin phones
Nine dead as landslide derails Italian train
|
Former Teacher Pleads Guilty To Sex With Teens
Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet" in Twitter twist
Obama Reiterates U.S. Help To Safeguard Chernobyl Site In Ukraine
News
US newspaper, TV news executives gloomy about future
Iran leader wants U.N. pressure over Afghan rebels
|
MasterCard Taps Ajay Banga As New CEO
Palm hires advisers, explores options: source
Malaysian Premier Talks Bilateral Issues With Obama
Hundreds of Internet fans expected at annual tech-fest in Spain
Egypt says had no hand in Kuwait deportations
|
S.Korea's NHN buys Japanese Internet provider Livedoor
Smiles Galore As President Obama Meets King Abdullah
Pupils sadistically tormented at German monastery
|
Google buys visual search start-up Plink
Family Of Deerfield Beach Beating Suspect Apologizes To Victim's Family
More bodies pulled from Rio mud, 205 dead
|
Conan OBrien Heads To TBS For New Late Night Show
German '4G' mobile phone frequencies go under hammer
"Dirty Dozen" Member Dies
Ukraine promises to give up uranium at world nukes summit
Microsoft unveils new mobile phones for young consumers
Nicole Richie Draws Inspiration From Jack The Ripper For Her Fall Winter Kate Collection
Best Buy to sell Barnes & Noble's Nook e-reader
French TV bends to Taliban, airs hostage pleas
Green Day, Lance Bass, Cat Cora Help Fund Gay-Friendly Prom
Thai poll body says ruling party must be dissolved
US, Malaysia say world must send 'clear signal' to Iran
200,000 civilians flee Pakistan military offensive
Anger mounts as US troops kill 4 Afghans on bus
Pakistani forces kill up to 40 militants in Orakzai
Microsoft launches Kin phones
|
Report says 7 killed when boat sinks in Bangladesh
Ex-Activision executives form studio, sign EA deal
|
Taliban wants France to arrange detainee swap
Creator of Java programming language leaves Oracle
|
Critics blast Bangladesh's ship-breaking law move
Palm hires advisers, explores options: source
|
Online sites win journalism firsts at Pulitzers
|
ConocoPhillips to sell Syncrude stake to Sinopec
Peabody Energy, Coal India in tie-up talks
Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet in Twitter twist
|
PepsiCo, India's Tata Tea in joint-venture talks
US-ENTERTAINMENT Summary
Conan O'Brien to join cable TV's TBS
Denis Leary, "Rescue Me" co-stars plan comedy tour
Greece museum visitors increase by 40 percent
Tenor Domingo speaks of cancer fear ahead of return
Indonesian police kill terrorist suspect in Aceh
Romeo and Juliet get Twitter makeover
British band Supergrass announces split
Online sites win journalism firsts at Pulitzers
|
Denis Leary, Rescue Me co-stars plan comedy tour
|
Broadway hit Jersey Boys sues rival show
|
German '4G' mobile phone frequencies go under hammer
Polish president's body to lie in state
Opera browser gets accepted for Apple iPhone
Gunman killed in Gaza firefight: medics
Top anti-racism judge shot dead in Moscow
Israeli forces kill Palestinian gunman in Gaza
Poland moves to fill key posts after plane crash
|
Facebook urged to add 'panic button' for children
Nine dead after landslide derails Italian train
Egypt says had no hand in Kuwait deportations
Java designer resigns from Oracle
French TV names journalists held by Taliban
Pressure mounts on Thai PM after deadly clashes
|
iPad name giving Apple heartache in Brazil
China stabbings spur public call for school security
|
Palm shares soar on reports company looking for a buyer
ProPublica wins Pulitzer but Post, Times dominate
U.S. military playing expanded role in Pakistan
|
Ex-Activision executives form studio, sign EA deal
Malaysian gets flogging for acid attack on wife
Bomb blasts in southern Philippines kill two
Afghan officials want to direct more foreign aid
Kyrgyz leader must come to capital or face arrest
N.Korea shuts S.Korean assets at resort, expels staff
Growth, cheap smartphones key in Q1 handset market
|
Opera browser gets accepted for Apple iPhone
|
Thailand accuses Thaksin of stoking deadly unrest
World nuclear summit confronts 'growing' threat
2 dead after stabbing rampage near S. China school
Dow closes above 11,000 for first time in 18 months
China eases government procurement rules on tech
|
Planet Circling "Cold" Star Is Earths Newest Neighbor
4 Afghan policemen killed in roadside bombing
Virginia Boy, 12, Arrested For Bringing Gun To School
Google CEO says company tends to create enemies
|
Barrier Reef damage 'severe' from ship grounding
Robyn To Release New Album "Body Talk 1" In June
Millions swarm to Ganges for Indian religious festival
Alcoa Q1 Loss Shrinks On Higher Aluminum Prices
U.S. Markets Gain On Greece Aid Plan, Dow Tops 11K
Obama Wins Agreement on First Day of Nuclear Security Summit
French president: will not give up nuclear weapons
U.S. says "good news" Kyrgyzstan to keep base deal
Fourth suspect in NYC subway plot arrested in Pakistan: media
India's Infosys Technologies quarterly profit dips
ADB urges China to make yuan more flexible
Seoul shares end flat; POSCO falls
Conan O'Brien makes surprise move to TBS
|
Infosys says quarterly profit up 8.7 percent
Biographer says Oprah is all business, no pleasure
|
On the Modern Family set with Eric Stonestreet
|
Ben Silverman's Electus unveils shows, one for MTV
|
Roger Waters taking The Wall on tour
|
Too much music as Glee returns to TV
|
China Southern swings back to profit in 2009
Patton Oswalt cast in NBC comedy pilot
|
China's Tencent to buy into Russian Internet firm
Taiwan sells T$40 bln bonds at 1.007 pct yield
China Eastern in global alliances airlines talks
20 injured as Indonesian airplane skids off runway
ADB forecasts 'robust recovery' for developing Asia
Patton Oswalt cast in NBC comedy pilot
China puts duties on US, Russian electrical steel
Passenger plane skids off runway in Indonesia
On the "Modern Family" set with Eric Stonestreet
Indonesian police kill terror suspect in shootout
Too much music as "Glee" returns to TV
Biographer says Oprah is all business, no pleasure
'Clash' fights off 'Date Night' to top box office
Ben Silverman's Electus unveils shows, one for MTV
'Call of Duty' creators come back in partnership with EA
Online sites win journalism firsts at Pulitzers
Bodies of Poland's president, wife lie in state
Kyrgyz president offers terms for resignation
|
Twitter set to make money through advertisements
Greece attracts strong treasury bill demand
Nokia unveils three cheaper messaging phones
Oil price surge threatens economic recovery: IEA
Sudan vote errors hit southern turnout
Drug violence scares off tourists to Mexico
|
China eases government procurement rules on tech
Rihanna, Selena Gomez Added To Lilith Fair Line-Up
Pakistani jets kill civilians: villagers
|
Autistic Girl Found Alive In Florida Swamp
Hundreds of Nigerians demand reforms, fair elections
|
Rabbi Sentenced To Three Decades In Prison For Sex With Teen
Somali regions vow to oust pirates from enclaves
|
Headscarf row re-opens old wounds for Algerians
|
Nokia unveils three cheaper messaging phones
Gangs and locals attack businesses in Kyrgyzstan
|
India, Pakistan meet briefly amid militant row
China says mine flood 'could have been avoided'
Kyrgyz president will go if security guaranteed
Roadside bomb blasts kill 6 Afghan security forces
Thailand vows crackdown after weekend killings
Cyclist Killed By National Guard Truck in D.C.
California Signature Drive To Overturn Proposition 8 In November Ballot Fails
Twitter set to make money through advertisements
|
Man Says He Accidentally Shot Girlfriend During Sex
Kyrgyz leader says he'll go if security guaranteed
Nokia unveils three cheaper messaging phones
|
Study Suggests Spanking Children Could Make Them Aggressive
Obama urges leaders to avert nuclear 'catastrophe'
Thai tensions give way to New Year celebrations
Man Who Threatened Pelosi Over Healthcare Held Without Bail
Oracle boosts MySQL investment, targets Microsoft
|
Antidepressants May Be Effective Post-Stroke Treatment
Researchers Suggests Targeting Stress Hormones In Fight Against Cancer
2-mile scar on Barrier Reef after ship grounding
Thailand seeks way out of political crisis
Western firms welcome China's revised purchase policy
Infosys says quarterly profit up 8.7 percent
Pakistani stocks down; rupee firms; o/n rates flat
Kevin Bacon joins Steve Carell comedy
Breakdancing meets Bach in Berlin
ADB urges faster economic changes in Pakistan
"Gattaca" director back with sci-fi fable
Honda unveils zero-emission electric scooter
More fish, nuts, fruit 'reduces Alzheimer's risk'
China's Hu rebuffs Obama on yuan
Pakistan rock renaissance defies dwindling concerts
S.Korea considers Kazakh wheat; imports seen limited
Cathay plane makes emergency landing in Hong Kong
S.Korea c.bank says to watch moves by major c.banks
Several hurt as Indonesian plane breaks up on landing
China eases home grown tech purchase rule
Conan mocks NBC on first stop of comedy tour
|
Gattaca director back with sci-fi fable
|
Online sites win journalism firsts at Pulitzers
|
Kevin Bacon joins Steve Carell comedy
|
Greece at new risk of being pushed off euro
Bodies of missing Tenn. mom, Jo Ann Bain, and daughter found
Female Breasts Are Bigger Than Ever
AMD Trinity Accelerated Processing Units Now in Volume Production
The Avengers (2012 film), made the second biggest opening- and single-day gross of all-time
AMD to Start Production of piledriver
Ivy Bridge Quad-Core, Four-Thread Desktop CPUs
Islamists Protest Lady Gaga's Concert in Indonesia
Japan Successfully Broadcasts an 8K Signal Over the Air
ECB boosts loans to 1 trillion Euro to stop credit crunch
Egypt : Mohammed Morsi won with 52 percent
What do you call 100,000 Frenchmen with their hands up
AMD Launches AMD Embedded R-Series APU Platform
Fed Should not Ignore Emerging Market Crisis
Fed casts shadow over India, emerging markets
Why are Chinese tourists so rude? A few insights