Bank of Spain denies it plans lender stress tests

MADRID (Reuters) - The Bank of Spain on Tuesday denied a newspaper report which said the central bank planned to subject 16 Spanish lenders to stress tests ahead of Europe-wide health checks. "There is no pre-test," a spokesman at the central bank said following a report in the Cinco Dias newspaper which said the Bank of Spain would conduct preliminary studies on lenders ahead of wider industry checks expected later this year. (Reporting by Paul Day and Sarah White; editing by Jason Neely)