In Europe, the end of winter and an increasing number of spring vacations and mini-breaks have led to rising hotel rates in several cities for the month of May, according to the Trivago-Relaxnews report. Compared with April, rates are going up in Venice (+38%) ahead of the Art Biennale (June 1-November 24), Prague (+35%), Istanbul (+29%) and Barcelona (+22%). Compared to May last year, however, rates are generally lower or stable with only Instanbul and Prague showing increases of double-digit percentages. Destination Average price per night

Borrowing costs for Spain eased as it raised 4.047 billion euros in short-term debt on Tuesday, a sign of further-strengthening market confidence in the crisis-hit country. The sale offered further encouragement for the eurozone's fourth-biggest economy, which last year resisted speculation that it would need a sovereign bailout to rescue its public finances. Overall demand for the 12- and six-month Spanish treasury bills was 10.9 billion euros, more than double the government's upper target of four billion euros ($5.2 billion), the central bank said in a statement.

FRANKFURT - Deutsche Bank said Monday it would raise 2.8 billion euros ($3.7 billion) by issuing new shares, a move to bolster its capital buffers in line with new global financial rules. Germany's largest bank said it would issue some 90 million new shares from authorized capital and place them with institutional investors, without a public offering. It also said it would raise up to 2 billion euros more in non-equity capital over the next 12 months.

Telecommunications equipment maker Alcatel-Lucent on Friday recorded a 353 million-euro ($460 million) net loss in the first quarter, compared with a profit of 398 million euros in the same period a year ago, weighed down by restructuring costs. Costs related to restructuring came to 122 million euros and financial losses hit 152 million euros, the group said in a statement.