Italy’s government debt sold off sharply on Wednesday with the benchmark 10-year yield rising to a three-week high after the country’s government told the European Commission that it would forge ahead with its fiscally aggressive budget, the Financial Times reported. The yield on the 10-year bond hit a session high of 3.547 per cent, an increase of 9.8 basis points, after Italy’s populist coalition government defied calls from Europe to reverse its plans to sharply increase public spending.

The German financial sector is ill prepared to weather a recession, as the long era of economic growth may have inflated asset prices and lured lenders into underestimating future credit risks, Bundesbank has warned in its Financial Stability Review, the Financial Times reported. Germany’s central bank said on Wednesday it was particularly concerned that a surprise recession and a collapse in asset prices could kick off a downward spiral.

European Union states are still divided over an overhaul of rules for the supervision of banks against money laundering, two EU sources said on Wednesday. EU confidential documents show countries had agreed a preliminary common stance on the reform proposed by the European Commission in September which would give more powers to the European Banking Authority (EBA) to counter financial crime, Reuters reported. But one EU source said states were still divided on this issue and it was unclear whether they could reach a deal by the next meeting of EU finance ministers scheduled on Dec. 4.

Food group Barilla said on Wednesday it had presented an offer to buy the second-largest pasta plant in Italy from domestic rival Pasta Zara to boost its production capacity, Reuters reported. Family-owned Pasta Zara has started court proceedings to get creditor protection after its debt spiralled out of control. The factory, which is located near Tieste, in northern Italy, can produce up to 280,000 tonnes of pasta a year, according to one source close to the matter. “The factory ...

Why is Italy’s economy so sickly and has the country’s new government found the cure for its economic ills? As Rome locks horns with Brussels over a draft Italian budget that the European Commission has rejected for breaching EU rules, the Financial Times has consulted leading economists, academics and industrialists about the root causes of the country’s sluggish growth, the Financial Times reported.

Nyrstar NV, one of the world’s largest zinc smelting companies, is collapsing under the weight of its own debt, Bloomberg News reported. The shares plumbed fresh lows on Tuesday and the price of its bonds due next year is now 50 cents on the euro. Analysts say the company is headed for an inevitable restructuring, and the shares will soon be worthless. Here are five charts that explain how this powerhouse producer was pushed to the brink. When it listed in Brussels in 2007, Nyrstar made its money buying zinc ore from mines and smelting the raw material into a refined metal.

Greece’s central bank is working on a plan to help banks cut their bad debts in half, the latest effort to restore trust in the country’s financial system, two people with knowledge of the matter said. Under the proposal, Greek lenders would transfer about half of their deferred tax claims to a special purpose vehicle, which would then sell bonds and use the proceeds to buy some 42 billion euros ($47 billion) of bad loans from the lenders, according to the people. They asked not to be identified because the plan hasn’t been finalized yet, Bloomberg News reported.

European Union governments have reached a preliminary deal to clamp down on money-laundering by strengthening bank supervision, but do not address key loopholes, documents show. A series of money-laundering cases at banks in several EU states have forced regulators to act after public outcry, Reuters reported. The preliminary deal, which could be finalised before EU finance ministers are due to meet in December, confirms proposals made by the European Commission in September to give more powers to the European Banking Authority (EBA).

Italy’s fiscal stimulus plans would leave the country vulnerable to higher interest rates that could ultimately plunge it into recession, the International Monetary Fund warned on Tuesday, recommending instead a “modest” fiscal consolidation to reduce financing costs, Reuters reported. The IMF said after an annual staff review of Italy’s economic policies that any temporary, near-term growth gains from the stimulus is likely to be outweighed by the “substantial risk” of a rapid deterioration.

Shares in Europe’s biggest zinc smelting company Nyrstar crashed to a record low on Monday after ABN Amro said they were virtually worthless and advised clients to “abandon ship,” the Financial Times reported. “Given Nyrstar’s liquidity position and the company’s large debt and interest burden, we believe a debt restructuring process is inevitable,” said ABN analyst Philip Ngotho in a report, reiterating his sell rating and setting a 1 cent target price, down from €1.