Self Delusion

For those with a "60 Minutes" and stock market Jones, there's new news on the Lumber Liquidator front. The brokerage Raymond James had some tests done on LL laminates, both the deconstructed and whole part methods. One report says:

Raymond James said that the tests commissioned by "60 Minutes" were of a deconstructed laminate - not the same as the tests that the California Air Resource Board mandates.

Yet another site/blog says something different:

Here's what they found:

"In the tests Raymond James commissioned, the deconstructive method showed formaldehyde levels similar to the tests done by "60 Minutes," while test on the finished laminated flooring sealed in the emissions."

Dueling stock promoters. Love it.

Now, "60 Minutes" says it confirmed the testing used with CARB:

60 Minutes also confirmed with CARB officials that this deconstructive test method is the way they test finished goods for CARB formaldehyde emissions compliance.

And, lo and behold:

This Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) is to be used to prepare a finished good for laboratory testing to determine if the finished good complies with the ATCM to Reduce Formaldehyde Emissions from Composite Wood Products. This SOP describes a procedure for preparing or deconstructing finished goods made with composite wood panels and preparing specimens prior to laboratory testing according to the requirements of ARB's Monitoring and Laboratory Division SOP "Sampling and Analysis of Formaldehyde Emissions from Composite Wood Products."

So, CARB says to take the item apart. RJ and LL say that CARB is lying. Odd.

What's even odder is that Mr. Market is buying this. LL is up a tad this morning. What's a quant to do? The Data say one thing, while those desiring to change the incentive say another. As always.