• Most Popular
  • Most Shared

WaMu shares jump on Goldman, Buffett speculation

NEW YORK
Tue Mar 11, 2008 1:07pm EDT

Stocks

   
Kerry Killinger, chairman and chief executive of Washington Mutual, departs after speaking on a panel of experts at a national housing summit held by the Office of Thrift Supervision in Washington December 3, 2007. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Shares in Washington Mutual (WM.N), the largest U.S. savings and loan, rose more than 12 percent on Tuesday amid speculation of a possible capital infusion by Goldman Sachs (GS.N) or Warren Buffett.

Deals  |  Stocks  |  Mergers & Acquisitions  |  Bonds  |  Funds News  |  ETFs News

Goldman Sachs declined to comment. Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway was not immediately available for comment.

"Washington Mutual shares are up on unconfirmed chatter of capital infusion by Goldman Sachs and Warren Buffett," said Paul Foster, options strategist at Web information site theflyonthewall.com in Chicago.

Last week, Washington Mutual shares fell after a report in The Wall Street Journal said WaMu, which has been battered by mortgage losses, has approached private equity firms and sovereign wealth funds about possible cash infusions.

"The rumor concerning Washington Mutual involves a possible cash infusion, either from Goldman Sachs or from Warren Buffett," said Rebecca Engmann Darst, equity options analyst at Interactive Brokers Group, on Tuesday.

WaMu shares were trading up more than 12 percent at $11.28.



More from Reuters

Photo

Exclusive: U.S. business investment showing life

CHICAGO (Reuters) - A trade group for the lenders that finance half the capital equipment investment in the United States said on Tuesday the sharp pullback in business borrowing that marked the recent downturn moderated markedly in November -- an encouraging sign companies may be growing more confident in the sustainability of the recovery.

Malaysians participate in computer attack and defence hacking competition during The 3rd Annual Hack-In-The-Box Security Conference 2004 in Kuala Lumpur on October 6, 2004. REUTERS/Bazuki Muhammad
Commentary:

Year of the breach

Data security breaches are nasty business and should be avoided at all costs, writes Kevin Prince, a chief technology officer at Perimeter e-Security. Here's a look at the biggest breaches and blunders of 2009.  Commentary 

A condominium under construction is seen in Miami, Florida October 15, 2007. REUTERS/Carlos Barria

Booming in the bust

For most Americans, the housing market collapsed about four years ago. For three real estate heavyweights, it's just getting started.  Full Article