You're reading: Italy pays higher interest rates to raise money

MILAN (AP) — Italy's borrowing costs are continuing to rise amid renewed uncertainty about its debt load and growth prospects.

Italy easily sold €4.88 billion ($6.41 billion) in bonds in four denominations on Thursday, but investors demanded higher returns.

The Treasury sold €2.88 billion in three-year bonds at a yield of 3.89 percent, up from 2.76 percent last month. Demand was a healthy 1.37 times the maximum offer of €3 billion.

Italy also sold €2 billion in bonds expiring in 2015, 2020 and 2023 with yields of 3.92 percent, 5.04 percent and 5.57 percent, respectively.

Italy’s borrowing rates had eased in recent months thanks to government reforms and cuts, as well as emergency European Central Bank loans to banks. But uncertainty has returned to the eurozone’s periphery countries, particularly Spain.