European Central Bank Said to Buy Portuguese Government Bonds

Jan. 26 (Bloomberg) -- The European Central bought Portuguese government bonds today, according to three people with knowledge of the transactions, who declined to be identified because the deals are confidential.

A spokesman for the central bank in Frankfurt declined to comment when contacted by phone today.

Portuguese 10-year bonds pared a drop. The yield was 31 basis points higher at 14.91 percent at 12:04 p.m. London time after earlier jumping as much as 47 basis points.

To contact the reporter on this story: Keith Jenkins in London at kjenkins3@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Paul Dobson at pdobson2@bloomberg.net