Outright Monetary Transactions

(OMT).

Part of the open market operations of a central bank in which the central bank buys or sells securities outright - i.e. without the re-sale or re-purchase legs of reverse repurchase agreements or repurchase agreements.

This was a new tool for the European Central Bank in 2012 - and controversial, especially in Germany - though its use by other banks has not been so dogged by controversy.