Greece raises $3.4B in bond auction to help boost budget

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greece has raised 3 billion euros in a 10-year bond auction that helps boost its budget following its yearslong economic bailout program. The finance minister said the cost of Wednesday’s bone issue was “satisfactory,” given global trends like the coronavirus pandemic. Greece is planning to raise more than 10 billion euros from bond issues this year. Despite the country’s post-bailout recovery, Greek bonds are still rated as below investment grade, which restricts many key investors from buying them. The government hopes that will change by early 2023, at the latest.