What is Bernanke up to now?

..."Low rates should make it even more attractive to banks to look for borrowers and to earn the spread between the safer rate and what they can earn lending to households and businesses," he said....



He is trying to shake everyone lose. It would appear as though he was successful. No one is hiding anymore. Ben may have improved his social rating score with this one. Oil and gold are down. That is amazing. Maybe they'll actually start lending money again. I hesitate to say "Well done." yet. This might be interesting.

June 21, 2012, 5:00 p.m. EDT

U.S. stocks suffer second worst day of 2012 (click here)

By Kate Gibson, MarketWatch

NEW YORK (MarketWatch) — U.S. stocks on Thursday took their second hardest knock so far this year as economic reports indicating a slowdown in global manufacturing increased investor anxiety.

Data illustrating a slowdown in euro-area manufacturing and Chinese output also contracting pummeled commodities, with oil falling below $80 a barrel gold prices below $1,600 an ounce.

“We are seeing general weakness, not just here, but around the world. It’s going to be very difficult for us to be an island of prosperity while the global economy is slowing,” said Paul Nolte, managing director at Dearborn Partners in Chicago.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average retreated 250.82 points, or 2%, to 12,573.57....