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Wall St. Groans as Lehman Deal Takes Shape

Divided sale may spark ripple of pain through financial industry

By Neal Colgrass,  Newser Staff

Posted Sep 13, 2008 7:08 PM CDT

(Newser) – A possible deal to salvage Lehman Brothers took shape today but cast a dark mood over Wall Street, the Wall Street Journal reports. Washington refused to save the ailing bank, sparking a plan for either Barclay's or Bank of America to buy "good" Lehman assets while other banks propped up an $85 billion "bad" Lehman bank—a move that could send ripples of pain through the financial industry.

Observers fear that Lehman's fire sale prices may hurt other banks' portfolios, compelling them to raise more capital—or that firms backing the "bad" bank may need to call in loans and spark more selling that depresses prices. "Unless something is settled, it's going to be a bloodbath Monday," one source close to the deal said. Talks are expected to continue tomorrow.


Security officers stand guard outside the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Saturday, Sept. 13, 2008, where deliberations resumed regarding the nation's No. 4 investment bank, Lehman Brothers.
Security officers stand guard outside the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Saturday, Sept. 13, 2008, where deliberations resumed regarding the nation's No. 4 investment bank, Lehman Brothers.   (AP Photo)
Security officers stand guard outside the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Saturday Sept. 13, 2008, where deliberations resumed regarding Lehman Brothers.
Security officers stand guard outside the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Saturday Sept. 13, 2008, where deliberations resumed regarding Lehman Brothers.   (AP Photo)
In this Jan. 22, 2007 file photo, Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Richard Fuld, Jr., takes part in a news conference at the National Press Club in Washington.
In this Jan. 22, 2007 file photo, Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Richard Fuld, Jr., takes part in a news conference at the National Press Club in Washington.   (AP Photo)
Visitors to the Roppongi Hills complex, an office/apartment skyscraper, walk by the signboard of Lehman Brothers in Tokyo Thursday, April 3, 2008.
Visitors to the Roppongi Hills complex, an office/apartment skyscraper, walk by the signboard of Lehman Brothers in Tokyo Thursday, April 3, 2008.   (AP Photo)
A guard watches a passerby outside Lehman Brothers in this undated file photo.
A guard watches a passerby outside Lehman Brothers in this undated file photo.   (Getty Images)
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