from Zero Hedge
It’s been 16 months since the European Central Bank began its voyage into the unknowable in March 2015, and as The FT notes, this week marks a milestone – it has now purchased over EUR 1 trillion in government (and corporate) bonds since it began QE.
The ECB buys bonds through the eurozone’s national central banks and in line with a member state’s overall contribution to eurozone GDP.
Among its three largest economies, the ECB has snapped up a total of €238bn in German Bunds, €189bn in French paper, and €164bn in Italian bonds since last March.
Policymakers announced they would begin buying non-bank corporate debt earlier this year. Total ECB holdings of company bonds now stand at €20.5bn, with asset backed securities hitting €19.91bn.