A Coincidence That's Too Coincidental
Reported by Judy - January 7, 2006
The U.S. economy has tons of strong companies looking for investors, so when stock analysts on two different Fox financial shows recommended buying the same three stocks during shows on Saturday (January 7, 2006), I was more than a little suspicious.
During Brenda Buttner's "Bulls and Bears," analysts suggested buying Verizon, J.P. Morgan Chase and Pfizer. In "Cavuto on Business" immediately following, investors recommended the same three stocks.
Googling the names of those companies with the head of News Corp., Rupert Murdoch, shows connections between all three companies and Murdoch.
Murdoch has been negotiating with Verizon on a deal under which the telecom company would carry News Corp.'s programming, similar to one negotiated by Verizon with Disney.
When Murdoch bought a third of Hughes Electronics Corp., he used J.P. Morgan to arrange the financing, according to Bloomburg.com
And Murdoch previously sat on the board of the Cato Institute, a right-wing think tank whose major donors includes Pfizer.
Does Murdoch expect stock analysts on his network's financial shows to recommend companies he does business with? Does he promise companies he will exert such pressure on their behalf when he negotiates deals with them? And if he does, whose interest does that serve -- Murdoch's or the public's?
I'm not saying he does. I'm just asking the questions.
