The Treasury plans to re-create the Resolution Trust Corporation. Calpers says it will no longer loan out shares of Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley to short sellers. Central banks worldwide announce plans to support money markets.
AIG makes a deal with the Fed for loans up to $85 billion in exchange for a 79.9 percent stake in the insurer. Barclays buys several Lehman businesses for $1.75 billion. WaMu is for sale. And the SEC announces rules against naked short selling.
On Friday, the market rollercoaster continues — and seems to end up nearly where it began. Panic in funds parallels equities. FDIC's Bair warns of more bank failures. But the SEC's short-selling ban gives financials a big boost.
On Tuesday, even "good" financials start out looking pretty bad: Goldman Sachs' earnings plunge and AIG scares investors again. But volatility makes the market hard to predict.
On Monday, the weekend's turmoil starts taking its toll. Stocks fall sharply Monday on a triptych of Wall Street woe: Lehman Brothers' bankruptcy filing; Merrill Lynch's acquisition by Bank of America; and AIG's unprecedented request for short-term financing from the Federal Reserve.
Economists, recognizing that bubbles tend to come in bunches, are on the lookout for the next market to fizzle. They say that governments, central banks and international bodies should scrutinize a few markets that look likely to froth over in the next few years.
Hurricane Ike takes a backseat to the the banking storm: BofA pulls out of Lehman to focus on Merrill Lynch. By late Saturday night, a deal has been drafted to acquire Lehman's bad assets and pave the way for an eventual sale of the firm.
Uncertainty over guidance from Lehman Brothers casts a pall over the entire banking sector, including Merrill Lynch, Goldman Sachs — and Lehman itself.
On Sunday, no rest for Wall Street. And the dominos fall. Lehman Brothers files for chapter 11 protection, Merrill Lynch sells itself to Bank of America and AIG prepares for a dramatic decision.
On Tuesday, Lehman Brothers starts playing defense. Reports say Lehman management is considering moving up the release of its third-quarter earnings, which had been scheduled for next Thursday. Opinion is split on fannie and Freddie — with on builder calling a bottom.
Monday sees a dawn for markets...a false dawn. Investors rejoiced that the U.S. Treasury will take over Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, seeing a sign that housing troubles are over. Stock markets all over the world rocket upward. But not everyone shares the . Lehman Brothers ends the day down 13 percent. Why?
The U.S. markets may be closed Sunday, but that doesn't stop rumblings and news on the financial front. Lehman Brothers officials are hoping to finalize plans to raise capital and sell off bad debts sometime this coming week. And U.S. Treasury officials expect to buy $5 billion of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac securities within the next month, as part of the takeover of the mortgage finance giants.
For the troubled financial sector, Saturday brings no rest. The U.S. plans to bring mortgage finance firms Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac under Federal control, according to reports. The move could constitute the biggest financial bailout in American history. And shareholders are facing the prospect of a wipeout.