greek-bonds copyPARIS: France sold 7.5 billion euros of treasury bills at yields either side of zero as risk-averse investors continue to flock into the short-term debt of the euro zone's stronger borrowers.

In a sign of firm demand, the Agence France Tresor debt management agency said investors had put in total bids worth 18.1 billion euros at the weekly auction of bills known as BTFs.

The yield on the shortest-term paper, a 13-week bill, was marginally deeper in negative territory from last week's auction at -0.020 percent. The yield on a 22-week bill rose slightly above zero to 0.002 percent and the 52-week bill also returned to positive territory with a yield of 0.018 percent.

France first attracted negative yields earlier this month at a bill auction after the European Central Bank cut its deposit rate to zero, triggering an investor rush into safe alternatives for parking money over short periods.

Copyright Reuters, 2012

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