credit crisis

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US Will Buy Shares in American Banks

G7 agrees on 'aggressive action plan' after emergency finance meeting

(Newser) - Treasury chief Henry Paulson has announced plans to buy up shares in America's troubled banks, Reuters reports. The government will purchase equity in banks "as soon as possible," using some of the $700 billion approved by Congress to rescue the economy, Paulson said yesterday after a crisis meeting...

G7 Vows to Get a Grip on Financial Crisis

(Newser) - The finance ministers of the world's economic leaders vowed to stem the financial bleeding in international markets today after stocks plummeted yet again, Reuters reports. Reacting to pleas from investors, the IMF, and several other countries, the G7 reps pledged "urgent and exceptional action" to free up credit...

Feds Consider Insuring All Bank Deposits

(Newser) - Under the shadow of the deteriorating global economy, the US is considering two more steps to assuage markets, the Wall Street Journal reports: guaranteeing billions in bank debt and insuring all US bank deposits. Either move is an aggressive step, and in tandem they would mark Wasington's largest intervention yet...

Wild Swings End Ruinous Week
 Wild Swings End Ruinous Week 
MARKETS

Wild Swings End Ruinous Week

(Newser) - Stocks swung erratically at the conclusion of today's trading session, with the Dow rebounding from a dip below 8,000 on an early 700-point plunge and making a quick trip into positive territory. The Dow and S&P 500 eventually recorded their worst weekly drops on record. The Dow fell...

Feds Give Green Light to Wells Fargo-Wachovia

Citigroup plans to sue over breach of contract, but will not interfere

(Newser) - Federal antitrust regulators cleared Wells Fargo's $11.7 billion acquisition of Wachovia Corp. today, capping a weeklong battle for the Charlotte, NC-based bank. The rapid approval comes a day after Citigroup walked away from its acquisition effort. Citigroup plans to seek $60 billion in damages for breach of contract but...

In Crisis, Wheels Coming Off for Detroit Automakers

Economic downturn bad news for cars

(Newser) - The situation in Detroit looked bleak before the current economic crisis; now, it looks apocalyptic, the Washington Post reports. As GM’s stock fell 31% yesterday. Adjust for inflation, and the company is worth far less now than it was after the 1929 crash. “It’s devastating,” said...

US Must Save Global Economy  &mdash;This Weekend
US Must Save Global Economy —This Weekend
OPINION

US Must Save Global Economy —This Weekend

US must join UK's plan or face disaster: Krugman

(Newser) - Since the collapse of Lehman Brothers the financial crisis has gone from severe to terrifying, but the response of the United States and Europe has been "woefully inadequate," writes New York Times columnist Paul Krugman. We are now at a tipping point, and if world policymakers don't...

No More Bling? Even the Jet Set Feels the Pinch

Luxury execs are sitting tight for the most part, while jet set wonders what's appropriate

(Newser) - Not even the super-rich are immune to the present crisis, prompting Christina Binkley to wonder in the Wall Street Journal: "Is this the end of bling?" In a word, maybe. The world, of course, will always have rich people, but they may not want to flaunt it as much...

Wary Consumers Spell Trouble for Retailers

71% miss projections, worst showing since September of 2000

(Newser) - With the holiday season looming, retailers' only hope may be a genuine Christmas miracle. In reports on last month's business, 71% of retailers missed sales and profits estimates, making it the worst September since data collection began in 2000, MarketWatch reports. Experts widely attributed the dismal numbers to the struggling...

Disaster Ahead for McCain, Obama, and Us
Disaster Ahead for McCain, Obama, and Us
OPINION

Disaster Ahead for McCain, Obama, and Us

Economic crisis will ruin political, financial fortunes alike

(Newser) - Disaster’s dead ahead for John McCain, for Barack Obama, and for the rest of us, too, writes Rosa Brooks in the Los Angeles Times. McCain is “a dead man walking,” as he’ll soon find out. The "winner" will be a President Obama with no idea...

Feds May Take Part Ownership of US Banks

(Newser) - The Treasury Department may take part ownership of many US banks in a bid to encourage lending and shore up confidence, the New York Times reports. Under the proposal, Treasury would give banks cash in exchange for ownership stakes. In theory, that would improve balance sheets and help banks lend...

Credit Chill Spreads to Russia
 Credit Chill Spreads to Russia 

Credit Chill Spreads to Russia

Georgian war spooked foreign investment, destabilized economy

(Newser) - The credit crisis has officially reached Russia, revealing just how fragile the Russian economy is, BusinessWeek reports. Stocks fell so much this week that the government today suspended both exchanges to stem further loss. But the country's reliance on foreign cash—disappearing as investors flee—is bound to affect more...

Stocks Fall 189 Despite Rate Cut
 Stocks Fall 189 Despite Rate Cut 
MARKETS

Stocks Fall 189 Despite Rate Cut

Alcoa offers dismal earnings report to start third-quarter season

(Newser) - Stocks fell nearly 190 points in a volatile day, with investors showing mixed opinions on whether an unprecedented global rate cut by the Fed and foreign central banks would help the credit crisis. After swinging in a 433-point range, the Dow closed down 189.01 points at 9,258.10,...

Fed Joins 5 Central Banks in Shock Rate Cut

US, EU, UK, others offer 50-point reduction to reverse diving markets

(Newser) - The Federal Reserve and five other central banks cut interest rates by 50 basis points in an emergency attempt to stem the economic effects of the credit crisis, reports Bloomberg. The move brings the American benchmark rate to just 1.5%, while the European Central Bank and the monetary authorities...

UK Buys Up Bank Shares in Radical Bailout

Cost of drastic rescue package could top $800B

(Newser) - The British government will become part owner of the nation's biggest banks with a mammoth $88-billion rescue package for the troubled institutions, the Wall Street Journal reports. Under the plan, swiftly assembled after UK bank stocks plummeted in trading yesterday, the government will purchase non-voting shares in eight of the...

World Markets Tumble
 World Markets Tumble 

UPDATE

World Markets Tumble

Biggest drop in over 20 years, Brit bailout fails to stop FTSE dive

(Newser) - Fears of a global recession sent markets plummeting around the world today, Bloomberg reports. Japan's Nikkei index nosedived 9.4%—its biggest fall since the stock market crash of 1987. Indonesia and Russia halted trading after their benchmark index dove 10%. Of 100 companies listed in Britain's FTSE 99 fell...

AIG Execs Took Spa Week After $85B Bailout

Former CEOs appear before skeptical House to defend spending

(Newser) - After being bailed out by Washington, AIG executives engaged in some conspicuous consumption, and it’s still going on, Portfolio reports. Two former CEOs of the insurance giant testified before the House today, and lawmakers took them to task for reckless compensation and an executive retreat at a California spa...

Big Oil Takes Big Hit in Stocks' Dive

Demand slows, but company coffers plenty full ... for now

(Newser) - Oil companies’ stocks are plummeting, but the majors are comfortable with long-term plans and bulging coffers, the Wall Street Journal reports. The global economy is pushing crude prices down, and analysts think measures are necessary to keep share prices up. But larger outfits like Exxon made investments based on lower...

Bailout Czar Kashkari Joins World's Big Money Elite

After brisk rise through Treasury, 35-year-old has purse to rival largest sovereign funds

(Newser) - A behind-the-scenes player at the Treasury Department just weeks ago, 35-year-old Neel Kashkari’s financial heft as the agency’s bailout czar puts him on par with the heads of sovereign wealth funds, Politico reports. The self-described “free-market Republican” enjoyed a meteoric rise through the department, where he was...

Europeans Seek Unified Credit Crisis Strategy

As individual states act, leaders scramble for coordinated measures

(Newser) - Finance ministers are meeting today to hash out a plan to steady Europe’s banking system, but resolution continued to be elusive, the New York Times reports. They raised the minimum level for deposit guarantees to €50,000, though some pushed for higher limits; the EU has not developed...

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