European officials are nearing a consensus to enable the euro rescue fund to buy distressed governments’ debt in private placements, while divisions fester over possible acquisitions of outstanding bonds, said three people familiar with the discussions.

Agreement on allowing the 440 billion-euro ($605 billion) European Financial Stability Facility to purchase bonds from the

Order books on the European bailout fund's 5 billion euro bond have closed at 48 billion euros, a market source close to the deal said on Tuesday.

Portugal sold 1.1 billion euros ($1.44 billion) in bonds to China in a private placement last week, The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday on its website, citing an anonymous source. Earlier Wednesday, the Portuguese government sold 1.25 billion euros in bonds. Spain and Italy are scheduled to hold debt auctions on Thursda

China bought a net 262.5 billion yen ($3.1 billion) of Japanese bonds in October, the aboriginal time in three months the nation added backing of yen-denominated assets as that bill outperformed the dollar and euro.

China purchased a net 231.9 billion yen in concise Japanese debt and 30.6 billion yen in abiding bonds, Japan’s Ministry of Finance said in a account today. China

Gold does not consistently glitter, but you wouldn’t apperceive that from surging common absorption that has angry the chicken metal red-hot.

Gold has become awful admired bling, as afraid and adroit buyers alike, from hedge-fund players to axial bankers, army to the “currency of fear.” Gold at about $1,400 an ounce is about bifold what it allowable two years ago,