Oh No They Didn't! Top 10 CEO Snafus of 2011
They can make in a month what the average worker earns in a lifetime. Many go about in private jets, employ multiple secretaries and glad-hand dignitaries and world leaders. Perched at the top of major corporations around the world, the chief executive officer blazes trails, inspires awe and commands attention. But under such immense scrutiny, when the CEO slips, the rest of the world takes notice.
Credit Suisse Fined $1.75 Million for Breaking 'Naked' Short-Selling Rules
The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) said Monday it was fining the American brokerage unit of Swiss banking giant Credit Suisse $1.75 million for violating rules regarding the controversial market-making practice known as "naked" short-selling.
Egyptian Economy, Battered From Months of Political Unrest, On Brink of Crisis
The Egyptian economy, battered after months of uncertainty and violence that has followed the political upheaval in that country, is hovering dangerously close to crisis status.
MF Global Holders of Physical Gold to Get Their Assets: Lawyer
A lawyer working on behalf of physical commodity account-holders at bankrupt broker-dealer MF Global has worked out an agreement with a major gold futures merchant that will unfreeze their assets. However, that's not great solace to the account-holders, who have lost big in the bankruptcy.
MF Global U.S. Customers' Cash Hole Grows By $700 Million As Trustee Disputes Assignment of U.K. Funds
With Christmas two days away, U.S. customers of collapsed broker-dealer MF Global with funds still tied up in the rubble of the company bankruptcy just got a nasty present: a statement by the trustee fighting on their behalf telling them how accountants in London are making it even harder for them to get their money back.
Goldman Sachs' Stock Recovers from S&P Downgrade Rumor to Closing Bell Rally
Goldman Sachs recovered quickly Thursday from a rumor that the company's corporate debt was being downgraded by Standard and Poor's, extending the day-long rally the firm's stock had been experiencing prior to the non-event.
Goldman Sachs Downgraded by S&P: Bloomberg
According to Bloomberg, Goldman Sachs' corporate credit rating was downgraded to AA-, from A+
Late-day Rally Lifts Bank of America (NYSE:BAC)
A late-day buying spree is causing shares in Bank of America (NYSE:BAC) to soar higher than its big bank peers. The rally began just after 3 p.m., shortly after news broke that the financial institution had settled a federal lawsuit regarding a subsidiary's subprime lending practices for $335 million.
Hungary Downgraded by S&P as Carnage on European Sovereign Debt Continues
Standard and Poor's, one of the top credit rating agencies in the world, announced today it was lowering the sovereign credit ratings on the Republic of Hungary, slashing that government's debt to 'junk' debt status. The agency also assigned the nation's debt with a 'recovery rating' of 3, meaning it expects investors to be able to obtain from 50 to 70 percent of the country's bonds face value in the event of a default.
Fed Loads Up Balance Sheets, Begins Europe Bailout On Same Week It Promises Not To: Data
Last week Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke told federal lawmakers that no bailout of Europe was forthcoming and ended a monthly meeting of the central bank’s top decision-making body by pointedly rejecting a new round of quantitative easing. Data released by the Fed reveals that, at least partially, the organization spent the week engaging in exactly those actions.
10 Bearish Predictions for Investors in 2012
At a time of daily stock-market seizures, weekly bank and sovereign debt downgrades and monthly central bank interventions, most people are seeing the glass half empty, and have forecasted bearish -- if not downright abysmal -- market conditions for next year. A look at some of the more salient predictions.
Jefferies Earnings Prop Up Wider Bank Sector
Wall Street banks woke up to an unexpected positive surprise Tuesday after one of the financial sector's most prominent medium-sized investment banks posted results that exceeded analyst expectations, showing strength in the much-battered sector in spite of a highly volatile fourth quarter. Earnings for Jefferies Group (NYSE:JEF) were 50 percent higher than analysts had expected.
Goldman Sachs' Quarterly Earnings Will be Less Than Half of Consensus: Nomura
In a bombshell research note that is making the rounds of Wall Street this morning, Glenn Schorr, the financial services sector analyst for Nomura, cut his estimate for Goldman's fourth-quarter earnings to $1 per share, half of his previous $2 prediction. That's less than half of what the consensus expectations are. Other bank estimates were also taken down.
7 Positive Predictions for Investors in 2012
With less than two weeks left before the end of the year, all kinds of market participants, from economists at multinational banks to stock bloggers in their bedrooms, have begun to give their predictions for 2012. Here is a lucky set of seven predictions that could benefit investors next year.
Wells Fargo Fined $2 Million For Abetting Unscrupulous Investment Adviser
Wells Fargo & Co. (NYSE:WFC) was fined $2 million Thursday by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, a regulatory group that oversees investment advisers and other finance professionals, for neglecting to discipline an investment manager who became the firm’s top salesman of a certain kind of exotic investment instrument by forcing it on unwilling, elderly clients.
Morgan Stanley's Job Cuts Only Latest in Wave of Firings at the Heart of Wall Street
Morgan Stanley's announcement that it is slashing 1,600 jobs is only the latest in a late-year blizzard of pink slips being floated among people at the heart of American high-finance. Bonuses are also down sharply. Is the economy Grinch stealing Wall Street's Christmas?
'Mass Affluent' But Not Opulent Slice of U.S. Consumers as Scared as the Rest of Us: Report
Two recent reports on the attitudes of the "mass affluent" revealed that consumers in this wealth bracket have a relatively high level of apprehension about their financial future.
Fitch Ratings Downgrades 5 European Banks, Including Some of the Continent's Strongest
The five banks downgraded included French bancassurer Crédit Agricole, Danish giant Danske Bank, Finnish banking cooperative OP Pohjola Group and Dutch financial services provider Rabobank Group.
Pros Move Against Mom-and-Pop Investors in December: Report
Two reports released today show two groups, retail investors and professional asset managers, have been moving in markedly different directions in the past two weeks. The armchair stock pickers are getting out of U.S. equities while the pros are claiming they are dumping more cash into the American stock market.
American CFOs: Things Will be Worse Off in 2012, But Not at my Company
A survey published Monday by Bank of America Merrill Lynch found a majority believe the U.S. economy will fare worse off next year, yet only 7 percent believe this will force them to lay people off
Bank Strategists: Put Your Money in Good Companies, and Leave It Be
As unprecedented conditions continue to buffet the U.S. equities, and investors pull tens of billions out, investment managers are increasingly counseling their clients on what could be the most basic of stock market strategies: put your cash in mature high-dividend shares of mature companies, and stop fussing.
Taxing The 1% Gains Traction As More Billionaires Claim They Would Pay More Taxes
Several of the richest men in America this week came out in favor of higher taxes for the wealthy, if perhaps grudgingly and with caveats. The idea of billionaires accepting that they need to give up more of what they earn to the government has been slowly worming itself into the American political discourse.
Someone Goes All In on Bank of America (NYSE:BAC)
A market participant with apparently $400 million in cash lying around just became one of Bank of America's (NYSE:BAC) largest shareholders. Between 11:01 and 11:02 a.m. New York time, trade in Bank of America spiked as over 72 million shares changed hands.
Large U.S. Bank Stocks Happy on Euro Summit News
Stock in the largest American banks were particularly bullish on the developments, trading up in heavy volume during pre-market action in the New York Stock Exchange. Shares of Citigroup (NYSE:C), Bank of America (NYSE:BAC) and Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS) were up more than 2 percent in very early pre-market trading. Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS), whose operations are generally considered to be more sensitive to developments out of Europe than its large bank peers in the U.S., was up over 3 percent.
Markets Now Seeing Once-Unthinkable Greek Eurozone Exit as Inevitable
Talk of Greece voluntarily leaving -- or being kicked out of -- the eurozone was once verboten. Now bank economists, investors, and even central bankers are talking about it as though it's a done deal. The divide between rhetoric is also growing. Those predicting the future Greek exit are calling it "manageable," while those saying it won't happen are labeling the possibility "catastrophic."
European Banks' Cash Hole Grows by 7.18 Percent to €114.69 Billion
The European Banking Authority noted banks within the 27-nation European Union need to raise €114.69 billion ($152.8 billion) by June of next year in order to meet the authority's capital requirements. That amount is €8.24 billion, or 7.18 percent, more than the supranational regulator had noted on October 30. The balance sheet apparently worsened at certain banks, most notable in Germany, Belgium and Austria.
Who Killed MF Global? Corzine Blames Nearly Everyone but Himself
Outside consultants, accountants, regulators, and people who were at the company “before I arrived” all took actions that undermined the stability of the company, Corzine is set to tell the House Committee on Agriculture today, according to his written comments. Not responsible, though as Corzine acknowledges are “one of the recurrent themes in the media” was the firm’s relatively high ratio of leverage or its exposure to European sovereign debt.
Smaller Banks Will Do Better In This Environment: Lazard
As his peers in larger financial institutions are dealing with collapsing stock prices and laying off tens of thousands, the chief executive at boutique investment firm Lazard Ltd (NYSE:LAZ) said he believes smaller, more nimble investment banks like his are likely to benefit from trends developing on Wall Street.
Stocks Rally For Last Hour of Trading on IMF Bailout Rumors, Retreat In Last Few Minutes
U.S. equities rallied in the last hour of trading Wednesday, before retreating in the last few minutes, as rumors that a $600 billion International Monetary Fund Bailout of the European sovereigns was about to be announced swirled the market, only to be dispelled just before trading closed for the day.
British Financiers Getting Socked By UK Politicians, Central Bankers, Regulators
In the past few months, but particularly in the last few days, the British Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Governor of the Bank of England, roughly British equivalents to the American Treasury Secretary and Fed Chairman, have become the bane of the English banking system's existence. Other British government officials have also joined the fray.