ECB Adds 14.3 B to SMP, Total Buying Now 110.5 B

The European Central Bank (ECB) spent a further 14.3 billion euros on bond purchases last week, down from 22 billion in the previous week, as part of the expanded SMP (Securities Market Program). The purchases of the past two weeks eclipse the previous record of 16.5 billion euros that the ECB undertook when it began buying Greek government debt in May 2010.