The yield for Italy's benchmark ten-year bonds closed Tuesday at 2.858 percent, and it briefly touched 2.860 percent in mid-day trading. The latest high yield was registered in May 2019 at 2.644 percent.
The current yield remains far below the euro-era high of more than 7.500 percent in 2011.
Higher yields are a reflection of investor nervousness, meaning the government must pay more to attract buyers for bond sales.
Economists say investors are increasingly worried about how rising energy costs stemming from the Ukraine crisis, slow export markets, and lingering impacts of the coronavirus pandemic will impact Italy's economic growth and its ability to pay its debts.
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