Just as Coeure 'promised' the ECB, according to The FT, began its bond-buying program this morning. However, peripheral sovereign bond-buying front-runners banking on the ECB greater fool to offload to are disappointed as they are go no easy money love. The initial program is covered-bond-buying (similar to US MBS, but a considerably smaller market) and the ECB will reveal how much it has bought each Monday afternoon (starting next week). Greek bonds are suffering the most with 5Y yields at cycle highs once again and prices at lows (vanquishing all of Friday's gains).

The European Central Bank has started to buy covered bonds, launching its latest attempt to stave off a vicious bout of economic stagnation in the eurozone.

The purchases are the first in a bond-buying programme that is expected to see the ECB place billions of euros of covered bonds and asset-backed securities on its balance sheet over the next two years in an attempt to revive lending and growth across the region.

The ECB confirmed that the central bank had begun purchasing the assets on Monday. The purchases of asset-backed securities are expected to start later this year.