Mum's the Word

Reports surfaced today that the U.S. Treasury is delaying the release of the stress test results until after the financial institutions have issued their first quarter earnings reports.  Here is what one report from the Boston Globe had to say.

The U.S. Treasury Department is asking banks not to mention the regulatory "stress tests" as part of their first-quarter earnings results, according to a source familiar with government discussions. Officials are still discussing how to release the results of the stress tests, and the decision will likely be made by the Treasury. The source said officials are aiming to release them in some form at the end of April after the first-quarter bank earnings season is over, and are trying to be sensitive to financial market reaction.

This is a very interesting development that could mean the results are not favorable.  The nature of the results remain to be seen, but one thing is certain - the U.S. Government is exerting a great amount of control over these financial institutions.