Stories related to: Lehman Brothers

The Dow leapt almost 400 points today, the best kickoff to a second quarter since 1938. Lehman Brothers and UBS announced plans to raise capital, cheering investors and convincing many that big banks can work through the credit crisis, Bloomberg reports. The Dow ended up 391.47 at 12,654.36, the Nasdaq 83.65 at 2,362.75, and the S&P 500 47.48 at 1,370.18. More »

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 »

Possible fraud involving forged documents from a Japanese trading firm may have cost Lehman Brothers $250 million, the Wall Street Journal reports. The investment bank loaned funds to a Japanese biotech firm last year; the transaction was secured by top trading company Marubeni Corp. But the biotech firm filed for bankruptcy March 19, and the funds still haven’t been paid back. More »

A day after posting its biggest gain on Wall Street in more than a decade—shares rose 18% to $42.86—securities firm Morgan Stanley today reported a second straight quarterly loss, as first quarter earnings fell 42% to $1.55 billion, from $2.67 billion a year ago, reports Bloomberg. But Morgan joined Goldman Sachs and Lehman Brothers in beating analyst expectations, prompting a runup in early trading. More »

Lehman Brothers, which yesterday lost 19% of its market value, today reported a 57% drop in net income for the first quarter and a 31% drop in net revenue. But those dire figures still beat analyst forecasts, sending the stock up 12% in premarket trading, the Wall Street Journal reports. The earnings were brought low by a $1.8 billion mortgage writedown. More »

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 »

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 »

Commercial real estate could be the next victim of the current economic downturn, and if it is, expect it to cause another full-fledged crisis, the Wall Street Journal reports. Commercial real estate values could fall as much as 26% over the next 2 years, Goldman Sachs analysts predict, leading to another round of huge write-offs and creating "a significantly longer tail than subprime." More »

Thanks to two pieces of unexpectedly good news today, the markets erased early losses, the Dow climbing 44.06 to 13,517.96 after dipping to almost 13,350 this morning. Retail sales in November increased 1.2%, twice what watchers had estimated. And wholesale prices had their biggest one-month jump since 1973, a 3.2% rise nearly doubling estimates, the Journal reports. Both numbers suggested economic strength. More »

Stocks fell again today after JPMorgan Chase predicted that profits would drop at big brokerages. Meanwhile, lower oil prices lowered earning prospects for energy companies, reports Bloomberg. "Until credit loosens up, you can't get a solid footing in the market," says a manager. The Dow was down 65.84 to 13,248.73, the Nasdaq 17.3 to 2,619.83, and the S&P 500 9.63 to 1,462.79. More »

Bad news in the financial sector today meant the first bearish day for the market in five sessions, as Deutsche Bank’s negative prediction for fourth-quarter earnings pushed Morgan Stanley, Merrill Lynch, and Lehman Brothers downward. The Dow fell 57.15 to 13,314.57, the Nasdaq slid 23.83 to 2,637.13, and the S&P 500 lost 8.72 to close at 1,472.42. More »

The Big Five Wall Street securities firms will pay $38 billion in bonuses this year—up from $36 billion last year—while shareholders tote up $74 billion in losses, their worst year since 2002, Bloomberg reports. All but Goldman Sachs lost more than 20% of their market value, says an analyst, but "they're all going to have to fall into line. If Bear and Merrill plead poverty, they're going to lose all of their good people.'' More »

Despite $45 billion in subprime writedowns, rolling CEO heads, and an $84 billion drop in market value, Wall Street will somehow post its second-most-profitable year ever, reports Bloomberg. “As the bombs are dropping and the mines are exploding, it's a bit of a surprise,'' said an investment banker. Goldman Sachs and Lehman Brothers will record their best years ever. More »

US stocks fell today on a disappointing home-sales report and lowered projections for Countrywide, the nation’s top home lender, with Lehman Brothers citing “extraordinary weakness” in mortgage loans. The Dow closed at 13,322.13, down 56.74, near the session low. The S&P 500 fell 12.58, to 1,466.79, and the Nasdaq declined 15.44 to close at 2,561.25. More »

The pending sale of part of Home Depot took an ugly turn last night as three banks and three private equity firms entered into a showdown over financing. Home Depot dropped its asking price by over $1 billion, but the banks involved—JPMorgan Chase, Lehman Brothers and Merrill Lynch—have threatened to withdraw from a deal that may become the  first casualty of the credit crunch. More »

The securities firm Bear Stearns will oust its stocks and bonds trading chief, the WSJ reports, and soften its emphasis on short-term trades. The extraordinary moves come in the wake of Friday's market sell-off, partly triggered by investor concern about Bear Stearns after the collapse of two of its mortgage-bond funds. More »

In a penthouse-level play, real estate developer Tishman Speyer Properties and investment bank Lehman Brothers will spend $13.5 billion to buy the nation's second-largest apartment owner. The $60.75 per share offer for real estate trust Archstone-Smith, confirmed this morning, will take the company private in a deal worth over $22 billion including debt. More »