The additional yield investors demand to hold Italian 10-year bonds over similar-maturity German bunds rose to more than 400 basis points for the first time since Feb. 16.

Italy’s 10-year yield climbed 21 basis points to 5.66 percent at 3:59 p.m. London time, pushing the spread over bunds 29 basis points wider to 401 basis points, or 4.01 percentage points.

To contact the reporter on this story: Lucy Meakin in London at lmeakin1@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Daniel Tilles at dtilles@bloomberg.net