Bloomberg The European Central Bank (ECB) pledged to keep interest rates at record lows at least through the summer after policy makers met amid rising concern about the region’s growth outlook. The decision came just hours after a report signalled the euro area’s economic slowdown is set to drag on, with the region beset by political strife and global risks …

Bloomberg If you’re a bond trader at a major bank, the next time you ask for an increase in your position limit, the answer is likely to be based on regulatory stress tests. Seventy-eight percent of global banks now use the tests to assess concentrations and set limits internally, according to a Deloitte survey. That’s up from 67 percent in …

Bloomberg The biggest issuers of US corporate bonds are easing up on selling new securities, which could translate to gains for investors holding the debt. Banks and other financial companies have sold around $50 billion of bonds so far this year, down more than 40 percent from the same period a year ago. For the largest US banks the decline …