The European Central Bank is considering buying corporate bonds on the secondary market and may decide on the matter as soon as December with a view to begin buying early next year, several sources familiar with the situation told Reuters. The ECB has already carried out work on such purchases, which would widen out the private-sector asset-buying programme it began on Monday - stimulus it is deploying to try to foster lending to businesses and thereby support the euro zone economy. "The pressure in this direction is high," said one person familiar with the work inside the ECB, speaking on condition of anonymity. ... (full story)