ROME: Italy saw the rates of return demanded by investors drop in a bond sale that raised 9.0 billion euros ($12 billion) on Thursday in an indication of greater confidence from the financial markets.

The Italian Treasury auctioned 3.0 billion euros in bonds due to be redeemed in 2019 at a rate of 2.14 percent compared to the 2.43 percent demanded by investors in a similar auction last month.

Italy also sold 4.0 billion euros in paper due in September 2014 at 3.42 percent instead of the 3.81 percent charged last month, the Bank of Italy said.

It said 1.033 billion euros in Treasury bills indexed to the Euribor rate due in April 2018 were also sold at 1.43 percent compared to 2.48 percent in September 2013.

Bills due in November 2018 for a total of 967 million euros were auctioned at 1.56 percent from 1.79 percent in the last comparable auction on January 30.