The Nation : Leaks of Data Discounted

Commerce Secretary Malcolm Baldrige said that a spate of rumored leaks of sensitive economic data turned out to be nothing more than lucky guesses, and that investors who trade on such rumors are fools. Baldrige said in Washington that an investigation by the department’s inspector general had found no evidence of premature release of government statistics despite rumored leaks of the data in financial markets on four occasions in recent weeks. The government’s statistics often prompt wide swings in the stock and bond markets as investors react to news of the economy’s performance.