Happy Tuesday to you!

Nice market takedown by the Journal this morning, who led off with an article questioning the EU stress tests saying: “From this point of view, it is not surprising that the doubts raised about the validity of the stress tests are weighing on the euro and also on other risk-correlated currencies.”  Then, to make sure no one misses the article, they run another headline for the US markets that says “Concerns Over EU Banks Hit Euro” in which they quote themselves:

New concerns about the ability of European banks to weather the financial crisis came after the WSJ story highlighted once again the weaknesses of the stress tests. The report helped to widen the bond spreads on peripheral debtors and knocked European stock markets lower as another wave of euro zone jitters hit the market.

If this seems like BS manipulation to you, you will be doubly insulted to know that the US isn’t even the target of the manipulation.  Mr. Murdoch, an Aussie and long-time foe of the Euro, is simply expressing his displeasure in a Labor Party victory in the Australian elections today and is knocking down their dollar by simulataneously boosting both the dollar and the Yen (also in the article is news that the BOJ will not intervene in the Yen, which is total BS) to push down his native currency and make a post-election statement.  Just a media giant throwing a temper tantrum this morning. 

[EUSTRESS]Think about the “nature” of this story.  There is nothing NEW in this NEWs, is there? It’s the kind of article that could be written any time someone wants to push the markets.  Even the data they are using is from back on 3/31 – they didn’t even bother to update their facts for Q2!  Notice that the aticle is pure worst-case speculation by the WSJ, followed by comments like:

  • An FSA spokeswoman declined to comment.
  • CEBS didn’t disclose that the banks were calculating the figures in that way.

Wow, pretty damning evidence that they couldn’t get a comment contrary to their BS on a holiday weekend, right?  This news is also conveniently drowning out Obama’s proposed 6-year Public Works Program to combat unemployment by committing $50Bn for needed reparis on roads, rails and airport runways – putting some of our nation’s unemployed construction workers back to work.  Of course, you need to read the NY Times to find this out as the front-page of the Journal makes no mention of it (what…
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