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Citibank Is World's Largest Bank
Citigroup agreed Monday to purchase Wachovia's banking operations
for $2.1 billion in a deal arranged by federal regulators. The deal
greatly expands Citigroup's retail franchise — giving it a total of
more than 4,300 U.S. branches and $600 billion in deposits — and
secures its place among the U.S. banking industry's Big Three, along
with Bank of America Corp. and JPMorgan Chase & Co.
Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, in a statement Monday, said he
supports the "timely actions" taken by the FDIC "which demonstrate our
government's unwavering commitment to financial and economic
stability."
Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson said in a statement that the sale of
Wachovia's banking operations to Citigroup would "mitigate potential
market disruptions." Paulson said he agreed with the FDIC and the Fed
that a "failure of Wachovia would have posed a systemic risk" to the
nation's financial system.
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Citibank Worth $2.91 Trillion
With the acquisition of the bulk of Wachovia, Citigroup has
reclaimed its title as the biggest U.S. bank by total assets — $2.91
trillion. In terms of how shareholders value each company's stock,
Bank of America Corp. remains the largest U.S. bank, followed by
JPMorgan Chase in second and Citigroup in third place.
Wachovia's takeover marks a dramatic shift in the outlook for
Citigroup's future. Just a short time ago, the bank's investors
worried about the possibility of its own collapse given its massive
exposure to mortgage-backed securities. New York-based Citigroup has
not turned a profit for three straight quarters, and lost a total of
$17.4 billion during that period after writing down its assets by
about $46 billion. That's the largest reduction in asset values taken
by any U.S. bank in the current credit crisis.
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The Zionists protected You
The government's proposed $700 billion rescue plan for financial
institution, being voted on Monday by the House of Representatives,
likely will prove of added benefit to Citi.
While the plan broadly aims to prevent banks from profiting on the
sale of troubled assets to the government, there is an exception made
for assets acquired in a merger or buyout, or from companies that have
filed for bankruptcy. This could allow Citigroup to sell toxic
mortgages and other assets it gained from Wachovia for a higher price
than the bank actually paid for them.
Citicorp assets are $2.9 trillion
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