S&P Global Ratings raised its sovereign grade to B+ as a result, and has signaled a further one-notch upgrade may come if the country’s finances continue to improve. So the direction of travel is good, and investors buying now will do so in the hope of future rating changes.

A further prize awaits. The prospect of Greek debt qualifying at last for entry into the European Central Bank’s QE programs is finally in sight. As Greece’s credit rating is still well below investment grade, this will require the ECB to determine that its debt really is sustainable. What better way than a new bond deal to prove it? Investors could see this as an opportunity to get in before Greece makes its way into ECB heaven.

One of the country’s largest companies, Hellenic Telecom, tested the waters by issuing a 400 million-euro four-year note on Wednesday. And it was a big success, with an order book exceeding 1.8 billion euros. The 2.45 percent yield is 30 basis points less than what investors were originally offered. The demand really is there for Greek debt.

The sovereign should follow straight after. Though its cash buffer means it doesn’t necessarily need the money, it has long wanted to build a proper yield curve — a prerequisite for issuing debt without a roadshow and other investor hand-holding. It has made a start with this by issuing three billion euros in five-year debt last summer, half of which was new money, and a seven-year security in February.

Were it to issue now, a three-year note could attract strong U.S. demand, while 10-year securities would appeal more to European investors. Those maturities would fill out a basic yield curve — other outstanding Greek government bonds are often in small residual sizes after a series of exchanges, or in official hands such as the ECB, and very illiquid.

But that February sale really struggled after it priced. The 3 billion-euro size was too big, and the 3.5 percent yield was too low. After the launch, the yield soared above 4 percent. Not a good sign.