Rates were stable- to slightly lower Thursday following the release of Minutes from the October 22 European Central Bank (ECB) meeting which revealed a growing consensus that additional stimulus is needed to boost economies in the region. The possibility of an expansion of the bond buying program by the ECB as early as its next meeting on December 3 has boosted bonds and mortgage-backed securities. In economic news, weekly Jobless Claims fell to 271,000, close to forecast. Leading Indicators rose 0.6%, slightly above expectations. No other key data will be released today.