Cramer: Never Seen Wall Street This Bad

Wall Street survived the near-collapse of Bear Stearns, but there's more trouble ahead

(NEWSER) - Wall Street, reeling over JP Morgan’s bargain-basement purchase of Bear Stearns, is anxiously watching to see “who’s next” to succumb to the continuing credit squeeze, reports the Financial Times. As investment banks prepare to release first quarter results this week—led by Goldman Sachs and Lehman Brothers tomorrow—the mood is grim. “Short-sellers could have a field day with bank stocks this week,” said one banker. More»

(NEWSER) - Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley, the nation's last two major independent investment banks, have gotten permission to become bank holding companies, the Federal Reserve said tonight. A fundamental rearrangement of Wall Street, the move will allow them to create commercial banks, which would bolster their resources, while inviting increased regulation. It reflects the Fed's determination not to let Goldman and Morgan Stanley fail, the New York Times notes. More»

Investors fear that banks, securities firms still in trouble

(NEWSER) - Lehman Brothers shocked Wall Street today by posting a $2.8 billion quarterly loss, its first in 14 years and far worse than expected, the Wall Street Journal reports. Other downmarket reports added to investor anxiety, sent stocks falling, and boosted fears that banks and securities firms remain troubled. As expected, Lehman also announced a plan to raise $6 billion in new capital. More»

Firm seeks to calm fears of another Bear Stearns disaster

(NEWSER) - Lehman Brothers is selling $3 billion in new shares to allay fears after its stock dropped 42% this year, Bloomberg reports. "We still maintain that we don't need capital, but we've realized that perception is the dominant issue in today's markets,'' said CFO Erin Callan. Lehman fell up to 48% this month on rumors that it lacked cash and faced a Bear Stearns-style meltdown. More»

Shaky confidence means its biggest fear may be fear itself

(NEWSER) - After a collapse of confidence sank Bear Stearns last week, some traders are betting that Lehman Brothers will be the next victim of the credit crunch. Its stock went on a rollercoaster ride yesterday—plunging 40% at one point and closing down 19%, the biggest fall since the firm went public. But analysts, wary of giving vultures more reasons to circle, are watching what they say about the brokerage firm, Marketwatch reports. More»