Word: citigroups
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...Bank of America looked to benefit from the turmoil facing the banking business. The firm, based in Charlotte, N.C., had never been a big player in the subprime-mortgage business, in either lending or underwriting loans. That prudence led to smaller lending losses at B of A than at Citigroup and other rivals. What's more, while other financial firms were verging on broke, Bank of America seemed to have enough capital to play the role of rescuer in the credit crunch...
...Although the rupiah could suddenly weaken against the dollar and shave off a significant chunk of a trader's profit, "If your carrying spread is wide enough, you'll comfortably take the currency risk," says Johanna Chua, chief economist with Citigroup in Asia. In fact, Chua says, the dollar carry trade has become so widespread among traders in Asia it has even triggered buying of more exotic and illiquid currencies like the Sri Lankan rupee. "That's the ultimate carry trade," Chua says...
...unchecked could make Asian exports too expensive to buy, Asian central banks have intervened in foreign exchange markets and done something they are loath to do: Actually increase the dollars in their foreign reserves. "Asian central banks are accumulating even more dollars," says Credit Suisse's Desbarres. According to Citigroup, China's foreign reserves ($2.13 trillion as of June, including forward currency contracts) have increased 11.9% since the collapse of Lehman Brothers in September, 2008. Hong Kong's foreign reserves have shot up by nearly 40% over the same period. Economists point out that this new pile-up of dollars...
...More important, the liquidity the dollar carry trade creates, like alcohol, can also be hazardous if taken in immoderate amounts. For instance, Citigroup's Chua says one of the reasons Asia's stock and property markets have been rallying over the last six months is because of the overabundance of short-term liquidity. "A lot of dollars are seeping into Asian economies," she says. "That's pumping up asset bubbles." When those bubbles burst, as they frequently do, there will no doubt be unpleasant messes to clean...
...case of big banks like Bank of America or Citigroup, the upfront payments could run to a few billions. But the FDIC and analysts say banks will be more than able to cover it. Cash flow is not their problem. Capital is. And because the prepayments won't hit earnings, at least not initially, those capital ratios we have been worried about to show if banks are solvent won't change. Banks, all too familiar with accounting tricks, seem overjoyed by the FDIC's solution...