Frankfurt, Germany (AP) — The European Central Bank says it will step up its bond-buying stimulus in the coming months. The move is aimed at halting what is regarded as a premature rise in borrowing costs in the 19 countries that use the euro while the economy remains weak. The central bank said Thursday that over the next quarter the purchases would be conducted “at a significantly higher pace than during the first months of the year.” ECB officials have expressed concern at the rise in longer-term borrowing rates, regarded as a spillover from the U.S., where the economic recovery is expected to be faster.
