Greece's debt crisis returned to financial markets with a vengeance as agitated investors demanded the highest premiums to buy its government bonds since the launch of European monetary union over a decade ago.
The yield spread between 10-year Greek bonds and benchmark German Bunds widened dramatically yesterday, by almost 0.7 percentage points at one point, in what one trader called a “capitulation” to sellers worried about Greece's ability to refinance its debt.
The mayhem unfolded after Greece denied it had given a mandate to Goldman Sachs, the US investment bank, to sell government debt to China. Greek 10-year bond yields closed at 6.70 per cent, 0.48 percentage points up on the day.