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EU bonds and stocks boosted by central-bank announcement
By EUobserver
European markets got a boost Thursday after the European Central Bank promised to accelerate its pandemic-related asset-purchase programme. "The governing council expects purchases under the [programme] ... over the next quarter to be conducted at a significantly higher pace than during the first months of this year," the bank said. Interest payments on benchmark 10-year German bonds dropped 0.03 percent, while European stock markets rose by 0.4 to 1.8 percent.