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The article discusses penalties assessed banking company BNP Paribas for having circumvented U.S. sanctions against Sudan and Iran. Paribas will pay a fine of close to $9 billion, and will also have its ability to clear U.S. dollar transactions temporarily curtailed. The author notes that while the U.S. government tailored its penalties to ensure no disruptions to the financial system, its lenience could enable future excessive risk-taking by banks.

The author offers opinions on Bank of America Corp. It is stated that the company's announcement it had made an accounting error meaning it has $4 billion less in bank capital than it had reported to the U.S. Federal Reserve Board is yet another indication that the bank's size and complexity may mean it is impossible to be managed without large costs related to litigation and regulation.

The article discusses why banking company J. P. Morgan Chase & Co. could have a strong year in 2014. The author opines that Morgan's earnings power is stronger than that of rivals due to its diverse business lines including investment, commercial, and consumer banking. He also believes the company's litigation costs will decline, and that in a climate of rising interest rates it will be well-positioned to cut other costs also.

The article discusses challenges posed to Michael Corbat, chief executive of banking company Citigroup Inc., in dealing with some $171 billion in segregated assets the bank is trying to unload. For accounting reasons Citigroup must devote $40 billion in equity to those assets. The author notes that Citigroup would have a difficult time finding buyers for the assets, and suggests consolidating them with Citigroup's overall business would provide more clarity to shareholders.

The article discusses forthcoming earnings reports from banking companies Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and Morgan Stanley.

The article reports that several large U.S. pension funds risk encountering substantial shortfalls due to assuming rates of return that are unrealistically optimistic. On average, the 15 largest public pension systems expect to realize a 7.8% annual return on their investments. Since 1999 the Dow Jones Industrial Average has realized essentially no gain.

The article reports that the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB), the agency which sets U.S. accounting standards, announced that its chairman Robert Herz would retire October 1, 2010. The effects of that retirement on an ongoing debate on the proper role of accounting standards, which some bank regulators and legislators say should promote financial stability rather than merely provide information for investors, are considered.

The article reports on the testimony of Richard S. Fuld, former head of the bankrupt investment firm Lehman Brothers, in advance of his appearance before the U.S. congress. According to the article Fuld will testify that regulators knew of the troubles besetting the company as Lehman Brothers collapsed.

The article reports that AT&T Inc. has joined the growing list of large U.S. companies that are taking a one-time charge against their income due to anticipated costs of the federal healthcare bill that was signed into law by U.S. President Barack Obama. The anticipated costs relate to the loss of subsidies that companies have been receiving to help retirees cover prescription costs.

The article reports on the negative impact of the Chinese economic turmoil on the U.S. banks and the Federal Reserve in 2016.

The article informs that activist investors are facing challenges with their strategies against big banks in the U.S. like Bank of America and Citigroup as of October 2015.

The article focuses on the quarterly banking profile released by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. for the March-to-June 2015 period which revealed the recovery of the institutions from the financial crisis.

The article focuses on the challenges facing investor David Einhorn, with the stocks of both his companies, hedge fund Greenlight Capital and reinsurance company Greenlight Capital RE, down in 2015.

The article reports that financial services firms Bank of America and Citigroup continue to tradebank shares below their book value.

The article reports that the fixed-income, currencies and commodities trading business of investment banking company Goldman Sachs has posted a 28 percent decline in revenue in the second quarter of 2015 compared with a year ago.

The article discusses the performance of bank stocks during the second financial quarter of 2015, the probability of a raise in interest rates by the U.S. central bank the Federal Reserve (Fed) in September 2015, and patience among investors in bank stocks.

The article reports that the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) is considering relaxing a rule related to mark-to-market valuation of certain structured securities held by financial companies. If approved, the FASB measure would enable firms to postpone write-downs that reduce net income and affect capital measures.

The article presents stock price forecasting for the financial services industry. Stocks in the industry have risen steadily since March, 2008 as investors have hoped that the worst of the financial crisis caused by the collapse of the housing bubble is over. The announcements of stock sales and other means of raising capital by banks including Citigroup and Bank of America indicate that optimism may be misplaced.

The article reports that stock prices of financial services companies rose dramatically after two major banks, J.P. Morgan Chase and Wells Fargo & Co., reported dramatic declines in profits for the first quarter of 2008. Each bank's management issued pessimistic forecasts as well, but investors appeared to be relieved the bad news wasn't worse.

The article reports that C. Michael Armstrong, a member of the board of directors of the financial services firm Citigroup Inc., is expected to resign as head of the company's risk and audit committee. Institutional investors including the AFL-CIO labor organization have called for Armstrong to be ousted from the board. They claim his inadequate oversight of Citigroup's risk management policies helped create the bank's exposure to the collapse of the U.S. housing bubble.

The article reports that leading financial services companies including Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs Group, and Merrill Lynch are seeking to reduce the amount of debt they use to generate profits through leverage. Excess leverage was blamed for the near collapse of Bear Stearns. The amount of assets held by these firms can amount to as much as 30 times their net equity.

The article reports that the U.S. Federal Reserve Board's intervention in credit markets and its interest rate cuts in March, 2008 appear to have stabilized the mortgage bond market. Yields on mortgage bonds guaranteed by the government-sponsored enterprises Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac fell slightly in March 19, 2008 trading.

The article focuses on the earnings statements of the financial services firms Goldman Sachs and Lehman Brothers Holdings for the first quarter of 2008. Both companies had sharply lower profit than for the same quarter in 2007, due to the financial crisis in credit markets, but the decline was less than analysts had feared. The reports contributed to a strong rally in stock prices.

The article examines how investors can evaluate the stock prices of financial service industry firms in the wake of the collapse of Bear Stearns. Stocks of all these companies have declined in 2008, and at some point they may be a good buy. The opaque nature of the financial crisis in credit markets, however, makes it difficult to examine the company's balance sheets with any degree of confidence.

The article reports that the liquidity crisis affecting the financial services firm Bear Stearns caused the stock prices of other such firms to fall significantly, as investors worried the problem could spread throughout the industry. Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. was the company to suffer the most during the selloff, with its price dropping 15 percent.

The article discusses expectations that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) will allow corporations to present to investors a range of possible values for the derivative securities they hold, in addition to the current market value. In some instances poorly functioning markets have produced prices that may not properly reflect a security's value. Congressman Barney Frank has raised questions about mark-to-market accounting.

The article discusses Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The share prices of both firms have neared lows not seen since 1995. Some expect they will attempt to raise up to $10 million apiece in new capital by selling additional stock, thus diluting existing shareholders. However, Caroline Cai of Pzena Investment Management LLC is among those who believe the firms could obtain capital without selling shares.

The article discusses large write-offs being recorded by U.S. corporations. An $11.1 billion write-off announced by American International Group Inc. on February 29, 2008 contributed to a 315 point decline in the Dow Jones Industrial Average. Some argue that accounting rules governing write-offs are helping to create excessive volatility in the stock market.

The article reports that the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) will take a closer look at how banks account for off-balance-sheet assets. FASB chairman Robert Herz indicated his people were still in the information gathering stage. Reforms instituted in the wake of Enron Corporation's collapse have failed to limit the use of such assets.

The article discusses a peculiarity in U.S. accounting rules that favors banks over brokerage houses in the way leveraged loans are accounted for. Losses on such loans made by a brokerage must be recognized immediately. Banks, on the other hand, do not have to mark their leveraged loans to market, and can thus delay recognizing losses.

The article discusses difficulties financial firms are experiencing with determining the market value of their assets. When markets don't function properly and trading activity is minimal, it can be difficult to establish the correct market value. Credit Suisse Group sustained a $2.85 billion in writedowns, in part due to improper valuations it made.

The article discusses American International Group, Inc. (AIG). Chief executive Martin Sullivan has vowed to make his firm's operations more transparent in the wake of an accounting scandal. On February 11, 2008 the firm announced significant writedowns related to subprime-related securities. Some speculate further writedowns will be needed.

The article reports that American International Group (AIG) will write down the value of mortgage-related insurance contracts that it holds. Auditor PricewaterhouseCoopers discovered "material weakness" in AIG's accounting systems. It is expected that the writedowns will total about $4.88 billion. Shares of AIG stock fell 12%.

The article discusses difficult financial prospects facing for-profit colleges. Organizations such as ITT Educational Services, Career Education Corp., and Corinthian Colleges are facing challenges posed by a weakening U.S. economy, and tighter credit conditions that make it more difficult for students to obtain loans.

The article discusses anxiety on the part of investors who hold bonds issued by Countrywide Financial Corp. When Bank of America (BOA) announced it would take over Countrywide, many bondholders were optimistic. Now some fear that BOA will structure the merger so that it is not completely responsible for Countrywide's debt obligations.

The article focuses on the positive impact a January 2008 interest rate cut by Ben Bernanke, the chairman of the U.S. Federal Reserve, had on the ability of U.S. banks, including Wachovia, to repair their balance sheets and balance their earnings. A discussion of a decrease in investor interest in the stock share of the banks which has resulted from the interest rate cut is presented.

The article presents the financial performance of the Dow Jones Industrial Average, Standard & Poor's 500 Index, Nasdaq Composite Index, United States dollar and ten year United States Treasury bonds for January 17, 2008. A discussion of the day's per barrel price of crude oil and of stocks on the indexes is presented.

The article reports on a January 15, 2008 announcement from Citigroup Inc. In the announcement Citigroup indicated that it had taken $18 billion in writedowns in the fourth quarter of 2007 as a result of involvement in the subprime mortgage industry and would be seeking at least $14.5 billion in foreign investments to help solve its financial problems.

The authors express concerns that small investors may start to buy financial stocks whose prices are trading well below their book value. The article discusses how Bank of America bought Countrywide Financial for $4 billion, a price equal to a third of its book value. The deal between Bank of America and Countrywide Financial is believed to be relatively sound, but the authors are concerned that other investors may follow it.

The article examines whether dividend-growth and equity-income mutual funds will come back into popularity as rates on Treasury bills, saving accounts and CDs are becoming low. It is also suggested that investors may start paying more attention to stocks that can either reliably return capital through quarterly payouts or whose prices have fallen so low that their dividend yield compensates for risks.

The article focuses on the plans of Bank of America Corp. to purchase the financially struggling Countrywide Financial Corp. A discussion of the impact the merger could have on the finances and stock prices of Countrywide and Bank of America is presented. Differing views concerning the severity of Countrywide's financial problems are discussed.

The article focuses on four indicators which in the beginning of 2008 will suggest whether the credit crisis of 2007 will be resolved. A discussion of the impact the four indicators, including the difference between key central bank interest rates and the rates that banks charge each other to borrow money, will have on the credit crisis, is presented. A similarity between banks in 2000 and banks in 2007 which hoarded money in an attempt to solve or avoid financial problems is discussed.

The article focuses on an increase in the number of large U.S. banks, including Citigroup Inc. and Bank of America Corp., that are expected to have lower than expected profit levels in 2007. A discussion of the negative impact a U.S. credit crisis and subprime mortgage crisis is expected to have on the banks in 2008 and beyond is presented.

The article discusses financial challenges faced by Citigroup, Inc. Both its tier 1 ratio and leverage ratio had fallen below those of peer banks as of September 30, 2007. The bank will likely need to raise capital, and it may reduce its dividend. On December 14, 2007 Moody's Investor Services downgraded Citigroup's long-term debt.

The article focuses on a decision of the Swiss bank UBS to approach Singapore's government investment fund and an unnamed Middle Eastern investment in an effort to raise enough cash to help solve financial problems it encountered as a result of its involvement in holdings of subprime mortgages. A discussion of other struggling U.S. financial companies, including Citigroup Inc. that have sought financial assistance from foreign sources, is presented

The article focuses on Citadel Investment Group's purchase of $3 billion in debt held by E*Trade Financial Corp. A discussion of the particulars of the deal, which included Citadel paying an average of 27 cents on the dollar for the assets, and its gains of E*Trade shares which was included in the deal, is presented. The impact the deal may have on other firms that are planning to sell debt is discussed.

The article discusses whether Citigroup should put on its balance sheet $41 billion worth of collateralized debt obligations. The relevant accounting judgement hinges on whether the purchase by Citigroup during the summer of 2007 of $25 billion in commercial paper issued by its CDOs constitutes a "reconsideration event" that would force the CDOs onto its balance sheet.

The article reports that more financial losses caused by the failing subprime mortgage industry are likely. After the losses linked to mortgaged-backed securities, banks such as UBS AG, Citigroup Inc., and Britain's Barclays PLC are expecting more write-downs because of shifting markets and incorrect assumptions. Bank investors are likely to wait out this write-down period to attain more transparency.

The article focuses on pressure that a rescue plan for investment funds called structured investment vehicles, which was initiated by Citigroup Inc., Bank of America Corp. and J.P. Morgan Chase & Co., is under in November of 2007. The plan is under pressure because Moody's Investors said the funds were liquidating assets to meet their financial commitments

The article focuses on the problems Citigroup Inc. Chairman Robert Rubin and interim chief executive officer Win Bischoff will face when attempting to repair damage caused to the bank by $8 billion to $11 billion losses which have been attributed to departed chief executive Charles Prince. The impact the losses have had on the bank's stock is discussed.