Fed acts Sunday to prevent global bank run Monday ( Bear Stearns Taken over,...rates cut )

MarketWatch ^ | 9:40 p.m. EDT March 16, 2008 | Rex Nutting, MarketWatch

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) -- Acting quickly to prevent a run on major global financial firms, the Federal Reserve cut its discount rate by a quarter percentage point to 3.25% and offered to lend money to a longer list of firms than ever before.

he extraordinary weekend moves came as J.P. Morgan Chase sealed a deal to buy Bear Stearns Cos. for just $2 a share backed by funds borrowed from the Fed. The Fed board gave its approval to that unique funding arrangement, which guarantees JP Morgan against losses from buying Bear. See full story.

The Fed board also approved the creation of a special lending facility through the New York Fed that would be available to members of its primary dealers list, which includes both commercial banks and investment banks. Investment banks, such as Bear Stearns, have not been allowed to borrow directly from the Fed.

JP Morgan has access to the discount window through its Chase Bank subsidiary, but Bear Stearns does not have direct access.

Events have unfolded at warp speed over the last week. On Tuesday, the Fed announced a new lending program for primary dealers in the bond markets, but that program won't go into effect for two more weeks. On Friday, the Fed allowed Bear Stearns to borrow money via JP Morgan in a desperate bid to save the firm, which has been pummeled by losses on exotic securities backed by subprime mortgages.

The Federal Open Market Committee meets on Tuesday. Analysts expect the FOMC to cut the target for the federal funds rate by as much as a full percentage point to 2%. Another cut in the discount rate is also likely.

[DuncanWaring]

Sundays.

[Lijahsbubbe]

Ok, got it. So you are saying I should stock up on wipes and cheezits?

Just make sure they're the original square shaped cheez-its. The novelty shaped ones (like Shrek etc.) are not as salty and flakey.

[CodeToad]

Just mere fact that a major headline uses the term “run” gives me the heebie-jeebies.

[AmericanInTokyo]

Regardless, al-Qaeda has GOT TO BE loving it.

They live in dank stinky caves on battery power.

What do they care?

Their standard of living will not change.

They would like to see foolish economics and economic leaders bring down New York City (and much of America) over what they themselves could (or could not do) with their flying bombs seven years ago into the heart of Wall Street.

Here is an early Guinness Beer(Stearns) from AmericanInTokyo out here, to the resilience of The American Dream and Monday morning, US Time.

[garbanzo]

But then again, we’ve seen this before. Huge selloffs in Asia and Europe, sackcloth and ashes by the (US) morning commentators, vicious drop-off on the open and closing the day 10 points higher on the Dow.

[Obadiah]

That’s what I’m talkin’ about. Can you imagine those guys that bought Bear Stearns thinking it near the bottom when the Feds stepped in, only to find out that their 1,000 shares at $30 are now worthless 1 day later? Whoo boy. There will be blood!

[AmericanInTokyo]

Yeah, it could turn out to be Hugh, and Vey Series. We will just have to see.....

[AmericanInTokyo]

Thread bookmarked.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Thanks,...the sun will rise tomorrow...and set tomorrow night here at the beach...and there is always the Baja...

[DeaconBenjamin]

Well, I guess can start thinking about calling it the "St. Patrick's Day Massacre of 2008"

Not a massacre, just St. Patrick driving out some of the snakes that were in Wall Street.

[DuncanWaring]

...heavy metals. Brass, steel, copper, lead, silver, gold.

And chrome-moly steel tubes.

[Matchett-PI]

bttt

[Obadiah]

Naw, can’t be. That genius Bobby Rubin was Chairman. Surely he wouldn’t have allowed his baby to get tangled in those complicated mortgage instruments! /s

[Orange1998]

BSC CEO was on CNBC a couple days ago saying no liquidity problems. I wonder if he was selling the whole time.

[Southerngl]

You know you are right, but those new Cheezits Stiks are MAHVALOUS!!

[DuncanWaring]

But then again, we’ve seen this before.

That we have.

[BQ91]

The real saving story is that the Fed has opened up the Disc Window to Firms to Barrow aginst their illiquid Fixed income Position, this might be what we really need to fix this liquidity crisis. This IMO is not a credit crisis but a liquidity crisis not seen since the summer of 1932. If we can get liquidy then that will enable firms to be able to use there balance sheets to bring order back in. What retail individuals do not realize is the middle markets and institutional market certian markets such as counterparty trades, repurchase agreements, Credit Default swaps, Auction paper has become very illiquid.

This FED move may help unfreeze that market

[GovernmentShrinker]

Indeed. My guess is that it will get worse, as more markets open. Lots of accounts that are already hitting margin call levels haven’t gotten the calls yet because the call is going to be coming from a market that’s not open yet. And there will be another round of that when the US markets open. Could be a nasty domino run here, but not as bad as if the Fed hadn’t gotten the JPM/Bear deal done so fast.

[coloradan]

Oh yeah, I forgot:

Gold:

US Dollar Index:

[DuncanWaring]

The SEC should know.