Monsanto

This is what happens when the corporate buyback bonanza bursts. If the CFO loved it at $116 - which is Monsanto's average stock buyback stock over the past 5 years - he'll love it at $84.

It had been quite a downcast start to the third quarter earnings season following very disappointing earnings from Illumina, Adobe and Yum Brand. Then Moments ago agri-giant Monsanto made it four out of four when it reported absolutely terrible results, cut guidance, but at least announced a new $3 billion stock buyback, one that will soak up all the company's net cash flow. The cost of all of this: some 2,600 worker terminations.

The big overnight story was certainly the BOJ's announcement at 11pm Eastern whether or not the Japanese central bank would boost QE. This is how we previewed it: "now all eyes to the BOJ when tonight around 11pm Eastern, Japan's central bank is expected do and say precisely... nothing." Sure enough, nothing is precisely what the BOJ delivered, leading to a big, if brief tumble in the USDJPY suggesting many were expecting at least a little tip from the BOJ.

· BoJ, RBA and BoE are all set to announce their latest rate decision this week, while the FOMC will release the minutes from their September meeting

· Alcoa unofficially kick off earning season on Wall St., with analysts forecasting the first Y/Y EPS decline since 2009

California just dealt Monsanto a blow as the state’s Environmental Protection Agency will now list glyphosate - the toxic main ingredient in the U.S.’ best-selling weedkiller, Roundup - as known to cause cancer.... California’s decision to place glyphosate on the toxic chemicals list is the first of its kind.

On September 25th, Pope Francis will address the United Nations General Assembly in New York City. To much fanfare, the Pope will celebrate the unveiling of the UN’s Sustainable Development Agenda 2030. A key plank of this agenda relates to the UN’s “Sustainable Development Goals,” or SDGs. While this sounds all warm and fuzzy, several well meaning participants have become horrified by the extent to which multi-national corporations have influenced the entire process. So much so, that insiders are claiming the UN is actually marginalizing the very people it claims to be saving. The poor, the weak, and the voiceless.

• Virginia TV journalists killed by suspect with 'powder keg' of anger (Reuters)
• Policeman shot to death and three women stabbed, one fatally, in Louisiana (Reuters)
• China Intervened Today to Shore Up Stocks Ahead of Military Parade (Reuters)
• Margin Calls Bite Investors, Banks (WSJ)
• "Computer glitch" is preventing dozens of mutual funds, ETFs from promptly pricing their securities (WSJ)
• Oil prices rise more than 4 percent as equities rally (Reuters)
• Oil Industry Needs Half a Trillion Dollars to Endure Price Slump (BBG)

News That Matters

The size of Paulson's stake is unknown, however we do know that the top 20 shareholders top out at about $150 million in SYNN holdings. Assuming a $200 million Paulson stake, that means that Paulson's paper losses were likely $30-40 million today (depending on the price he build up his stake), losses which may have been booked if Paulson decided to cash out.

News That Matters

• China’s Central Bank Cuts Interest Rates (WSJ)
• Chinese Stocks Crash Again to Extend Biggest Plunge Since 1996 (BBG)
• China cuts rates, reserve ratio to aid economy as stocks sink (Reuters)
• Wall St. suffers worst day in four years, S&P confirms correction (Reuters)
• Europe's Stocks Head for Best Day Since 2011 (BBG)
• Market turmoil clouds Fed rate outlook (FT)
• For All Its Heft, China’s Economy Is a Black Box (WSJ)

News That Matters

There is no such thing as objective science when a researcher receives tens of thousands of dollars from the GM producers themselves, then goes on to promote their financiers’ products. Corporate collusion between government bureaucracies and educational institutions has become a serious issue in the U.S. that has corrupted objectivity in nearly every sector of American life.

Most Americans have no idea that the U.S. corporate fraudulent government can legally lie to you every single day to get you to believe whatever they want you to believe and then turn around behind closed doors and laugh at you for believing their legal lies. Try telling that to most Americans and see how they look at you. This is another example of a hard-to-handle lie that is pushed on Americans every day; and the average working American has no time to truly wrap their heads around this stunning fact so they bury their heads in the sand instead, unwilling to look at the issue because they fear they won’t know what to do with the information.

Despite all her proclamations of new fairness doctrines, false promises of her truthfulness, and exclamations of 'everyday Americanism' Hillary Rodham Clinton is seeing her favorability ratings collapse. As populist as she dares to be, in the face of her donating captors, it appears the everyday American just isn't buying it as Gallup reports just 43% Americans view her favorably (down from 66% just a few years ago) while none other than Bernie Sanders is bounding up the popularity ladder, rising from 12% to 24% favorability in recent weeks.