Tender Offer

• The number of bond funds that own stocks has surged to its highest point in at least 18 years (WSJ)
• Clubby London Trading Scene Fostered Libor Rate-Fixing Scandal (WSJ)
• Cheap money bankrolls Wall Street's bet on housing (Reuters)
• Bank of Japan reveals concerns over easing policy (FT)
• iPads and low-end rivals propel higher tablet shipments  (Reuters)
• China Cyberspies Outwit U.S. Stealing Military Secrets (BBG)
• Draghi Fuels Bets on Rate Cut With Risk of Limited Impact (BBG)
• China guides renminbi to fresh high against US dollar (FT)
• Japan is preparing to start up a massive nuclear-fuel reprocessing plant (WSJ)
• Apple’s Ive Seen Risking iOS 7 Delay on Software Overhaul (BBG)
• UBS faces calls for break-up at investor meeting (Reuters)

• Physical demand up: U.S. Mint Sales of Gold Coins Jump to Highest in Three Years (BBG)
• Paper demand down: Gold ETP Holdings Cap Record Drop as $17.9 Billion Wiped Out (BBG)
• It's May 1 not April 1: Fed Seen Slowing Stimulus With QE Cut by End of This Year (BBG)
• Another great step for Abenomics: Sony leadership to forgo bonuses after broken promise on profits (FT)
• High-Speed Traders Exploit Loophole (WSJ)
• It's peanut Breaburn jelly time: How Google UK clouds its tax liabilities (Reuters)
• Frowny face day at the Mark Zandi household: Obama Said to Choose Watt to Lead Fannie Mae Regulator (BBG)
• Russia’s 20 Biggest Billionaires Keep Riches From Putin (BBG)
• China Affair With Cheap Diamonds Heats Mass Market (BBG)
• China's emotional ties to North Korea run deep in border city (Reuters)
• US companies must use cash piles for capex (FT) ... and yet they aren't. Tax anyone who doesn't spend for CapEx!
• Chinese Way of Doing Business: In Cash We Trust (NYT)

• Bersani's lead over Berlusconi continues to erode, now just 3.6 Pts, or inside error margin, in Tecne Poll
• Spain gears up for U.S. debt investor meetings (Reuters)
• PBOC Set for Record Weekly Liquidity Injection (WSJ)
• RBS Trader Helped UBS’s Hayes With Libor Bribes, Regulators Say (BBG)
• ECB, Ireland reach bank debt deal (Reuters)
• AMR-US Airways Near Merger Agreement (WSJ)
• Monte Paschi says no more derivatives losses (Reuters) ... remember this
• Harvard’s Gopinath Helps France Beat Euro Straitjacket (BBG) - by sliding into recession?
• Obama Relents on Secret Drone Memo (WSJ)
• Brennan to face questions on interrogations, drones and leaks (Reuters)
• Wall Street Success With Germans Boomerangs (BBG)
• Khamenei rebuffs U.S. offer of direct talks (Reuters)
• Boeing Preps Redesign to Get 787 Flying  (WSJ)

• CAT beats ex-Chinese fraud: $1.91, Exp. $1.70; Warns 2013 could be a "tough year"; sees 2013 EPS in $7.00-$9.00 range, Exp. $8.54, sees Q1 sales well below Q1, 2012
• Yi Warns on Currency Wars as Yuan Close to ‘Equilibrium’ (BBG)
• Monte Paschi seeks new investor as scandal deepens (Reuters)
• Assault Weapons Ban Lacks Democratic Votes to Pass Senate (BBG)
• Toyota Again World's Largest Auto Maker (WSJ)
• Curious why all those Geneva Libor manipulators moved to Singapore? Bank probes find manipulation in Singapore's offshore FX market  (Reuters)
• Japan eased safety standards ahead of Boeing 787 rollout (Reuters) - so like Fukushima?
• Goldman is about to be un charge: Osborne cools on changing inflation target (Telegraph)
• Abe Predicts Bump in Revenue as Japan Emerges From Recession (BBG) - actually, "hopes" is the correct verb here
• Toxic Smog in Beijing Fueling Auto Sales for GM, VW (BBG)
• Fed waits for job market to perk up (Reuters) ... any minute now that S&P to BLS trickle down will hit, promise
• BofA shifts derivatives to UK (FT)

• Geithner allegations beg Fed reform (Reuters)
• BOJ Adopts Abe’s 2% Target in Commitment to End Deflation (BBG)
• Bundesbank Head Cautions Japan (WSJ)
• In speech, Obama pushes activist government and takes on far right (Reuters)
• Atari’s U.S. Operations File for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy (BBG)
• Israel goes to polls, set to re-elect Netanyahu (Reuters)
• Apple May Face First Profit Drop in Decade as IPhone Slows (BBG)
• EU states get blessing for financial trading tax (Reuters)
• Indian Jeweler Becomes Billionaire as Gold Price Surges (BBG)
• Europe Stocks Fall; Deutsche Bank Drops on Bafin Request (BBG)
• Algeria vows to fight Qaeda after 38 workers killed (Reuters)
• GS Yuasa Searched After Boeing 787s Are Grounded (BBG)
• Slumping pigment demand eats into DuPont's profit (Reuters)

• Israel Mobilizes Troops as Hostilities Escalate (WSJ)
• FHA Sets Stage for Taxpayer Subsidy With 2012 Deficit (Bloomberg)
• On eve of fiscal cliff talks, positions harden (Reuters)
• Japan PM Noda contradicts challenger Abe on BOJ (Reuters)
• Regulators cut JPMorgan's ability to trade power (Reuters)
• EU Should Reach Agreement on Greek Aid Next Week, Grilli Says (BBG)
• Moscovici rejects talk of French crisis (FT)
• Egypt Urges Push for Gaza Peace as Rockets Hit Israel (BBG)
• Leading Japan politicians draw election battle lines (Reuters)
• Fed Push to Tie Zero-Rate to Economic Goals Faces Doubts (BBG)
• China’s commerce minister voted out in rare congress snub (Reuters)
• China’s new leaders could have reform thrust upon them (Reuters)
• Both Sides of Gaza Border Brace for Further Conflict (WSJ)
• Fed Sees Hurdles in Housing Rebound (Hilsenrath)
• The Complete 2012 Business Schools Ranking (Bloomberg)

• Moody’s Cuts Ratings on Catalonia, Four Other Spanish Regions (Bloomberg)
• And the market top: Billionaire Ross Interested in Buying Spanish Bank Assets (Bloomberg)
• Japan Jojima denies govt seeks $250 bln BOJ asset buying boost (Reuters)
• China hints at move to strengthen Communist rule (Reuters)... well everyone else is doing it
• Euro-Area Bailout Fund Faces Challenge at EU’s Highest Court (Bloomberg)
• Obama, Romney now tied in presidential race: Reuters/Ipsos poll (Reuters)
• Former China Leader Jiang Resurfaces Before Political Transition (Bloomberg)
• Some in Congress look to $55 billion fiscal cliff 'fallback' (Reuters)
• CLOs stage comeback in US (FT)
• TXU Teeters as Firms Reap $528 Million Fees (Bloomberg)
• China’s Factories Losing Pricing Power in Earnings Threat (Bloomberg)

• Obama, Romney tiptoe around housing morass as they woo voters (Reuters) ... just as ZH expected
• Poll Finds Obama in Better Shape Than Any Nominee Since Clinton (Bloomberg)
• Romney on Offense, Says Obama Can’t Help Middle Class (Bloomberg)
• Fed’s Fisher Says U.S. Inflation Expectations Rising (Bloomberg)
• Citigroup Warns Irish Investors to Plan for Losses (Bloomberg)
• Central Banks Flex Muscles (WSJ)
• China says U.S. auto trade complaint driven by election race (Reuters)
• Brussels sidesteps China trade dispute (FT)
• How misstep over trading fractions wounded ICAP's EBS (Reuters)
• Ex-CME programmer pleads guilty to trade secret theft (Reuters)
• Income squeeze will persist, says BoE (FT)
• South African miners return to work, unrest rumbles on (Reuters)

• Italy Says It Won't Seek Aid (WSJ)... and neither will Spain, so no OMT activation, ever. So why buy bonds again?
• European Lenders Keep Ties to Iran (WSJ)
• Fink Belies Being Boring Telling Customers to Buy Stocks (Bloomberg)
• Dutch Voters Buck Euro Debt Crisis to Re-Elect Rutte as Premier (Bloomberg)
• China's Xi cited in state media as health rumors fly (Reuters)
• China vs Japan: Tokyo must come back 'from the brink' (China Daily)
• Manhattan Apartment Vacancy Rate Climbs After Rents Reach Record (Bloomberg)
• Well-to-do get mortgage help from Uncle Sam (Reuters)
• Princeton Endowment Expected to Rise Less Than 5% in Year (Bloomberg)
• Protesters Encircle U.S. Embassy in Yemen (WSJ)
• US groups step up sales of non-core units (FT)

More pain in Spain has been the theme so far in the European morning as poor auction results across three lines has resulted in significant widening in the 10-yr government bond yield spreads over benchmark bunds with the Spanish 10yr yield up some 24bps on the day. In combination with this the latest Germany Factory orders also fell short of analysts’ expectations and as such the lower open in bund futures following yesterday’s less than dovish FOMC minutes has been completed retracted and we now sit above last Friday’s high at 138.58.

All you need to read.

We just may have a deal:

• EU OFFICIAL SAYS DEAL REACHED ON GREEK DEBT-CUTTING PLAN: AP
  
• 'PRIVATE CREDITORS TO TAKE 50% CUT ON GREEK BONDS, AP SAYS
• EU official, who wished to remain anonymous, tells Bloomberg that euro-area leaders are set to approve accord for 50% writedown on Greek bonds

If true, this means that Portugal, Ireland, Spain and Italy will promptly commence sabotaging their economies (just like Greece) simply to get the same debt Blue Light special as Greece. It also means that, at least according to Barclays, we have a CDS credit event, although we are certain that Europe would never announce this deal unless ISDA (complete determinations committee list here) was onboard, and corrupt as always. In addition, Greece was unable to generate a 90% acceptance for a 21% haircut tender offer. And we are somehow supposed to believe they can do it with 50%? Lastly, as a reminder, on September 14, Moody's put SocGen, BNP and Credit Agricole on downgrade review. This will be the trigger

A completely and thoroughly bankrupt Greece has just crossed some imaginary rubicon where it no longer deems it fit to even lie, and instead will simply not report any data. As Bloomberg reports, Greek FM Evangelos Venizelos, never to be confused with Jenny Craig, spoke to reporters in Athens today and told them that while the figures for the bond swap are optimistic, they are strictly confidential and will not be released by the Greek government. Considering that bond tender offer tabulation takes about 24-72 hours in even the most complicated of bankruptcies, this is a tacit admission that Greece has been unable to even complete the simplest of Greek Bailout 2 prerequisites, which is to get its bondholders to agree to an implicit 21% haircut, which is precisely as Zero Hedge predicted when we observed that German banks have sold their bonds to hedge funds which in turn are now holding Greece hostage in exchange for nuisance value. An irrelevant Venizelos also added that the target is to have all new measures passed October end, that austerity measures votes will be separate from a budget vote, and that Germany is to provide all help to stabilize Greece. We are sure the last will be news to tens of millions of German citizens.

• Markets rocked as debt crisis deepens (FT)
• EU Revives Buyback Idea as Crisis Hits Italy (Bloomberg)
• Italy Fears Jolt Markets (WSJ)
• U.K. Inflation Slows in June on Spending (Bloomberg)
• China Money Supply Growth, New Lending Rebound Even After Cooling Measures (Bloomberg)
• Foreign-Exchange Reserves Jump in China (WSJ)
• Corn Slides for Second Day as USDA May Raise Global Inventories Forecast (Bloomberg)

The earlier news that Italy's regulator may forbid naked short selling in a desperate attempt to preempt the bond vigilantes from taking down the country's financial system (how shorting stocks prevent evil speculators from selling bonds is somewhat confusing) has been confirmed. But that's just the beginning. The latest twist is that the Consob has also requiring shorts to immediately disclose their short positions "in an effort to increase market transparency." Odd how shorts are never required to be exposed when the markets are surging (or how silver margins have yet to be reduced despite the near 40% price drop in the metal from recent peaks). It gets worse: from Bloomberg: "The European Securities and Markets Authority, which co- ordinates the work of national regulators in the 27-nation EU, should be given emergency powers to temporarily ban short selling or trades in CDS on sovereign debt in the EU, the Parliament said. The Italian regulator said short sellers must disclose their net positions when they reach 0.2 percent or more of a company’s capital and then make additional filings for each additional 0.1 percent."