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The 100 billion-euro (US$126 billion) rescue for Spain’s banks moved Italy to the frontline of Europe’s debt crisis as an initial rally in the country’s bonds fizzled on concern it may be the next to succumb.

Italy’s 10-year bonds reversed early gains Monday in the first trading after the Spanish bailout and declined for a fourth day, sending the yield up 7 basis points to 5.84%.

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“The scrutiny of Italy is high and certainly will not dissipate after the deal with Spain,” Nicola Marinelli, who oversees US$153 million at Glendevon King Asset Management in London, said in an interview. “This bailout does not mean that Italy will be under attack, but it means that investors will pay attention to every bit of information before deciding to buy or to sell Italian bonds.”

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Italy has 2 trillion euros of debt, more as a share of its economy than any advanced nation after Greece and Japan. The Treasury has to sell more than 35 billion euros of bonds and bills per month — more than the annual output of each of the three smallest euro members, Cyprus, Estonia and Malta.