Banking giant sells record $17.8B in new stock
(NEWSER) - European and Asian markets took a nosedive today, and HSBC announced it will sell $17.8 billion in new stock in the largest rights issue in British corporate history. Europe's largest bank ended last year in the black, posting a $9.3 billion profit. But HSBC wrote off $10.6 billion from its US business and said it would shut down the two American mortgage arms it owns, and fire 6,100 workers, reports the Financial Times. More»