European Investment Bank, the triple-A rated supranational borrower, brushed aside volatile market conditions to sell $3bn (€2.3bn) worth of five-year global bonds, in its third dollar-denominated deal this year.

The sale attracted strong demand from over 50 investors, which bankers said were keen to buy the highly-rated bonds despite the volatility provoked by a slide in equity markets and concerns over the US sub-prime mortgage sector.