FRANKFURT—Sunday’s Italian referendum comes at a critical juncture for the European Central Bank. The eurozone’s monetary authority is preparing for a major meeting on Thursday, where it will decide on the future of its €1.7 trillion ($1.8 trillion) bond-purchase program, due to expire in March. The ECB’s bond purchases have acted as a fire blanket for the 19-nation currency union during a year of political upsets, cushioning...

Source: Wall Street Journal December 04, 2016 09:11 UTC