It seems that people don't like the idea of sovereign funds owning big pieces of US banks. According to the FT, "over half of the 1,000 people polled by the market research group Strategy One said they 'trusted Citigroup (NYSE: C) less' after its recent decision to tap Middle Eastern and Asian sovereign funds to ease its financial constraints." The number for Merrill Lynch (NYSE:MER) was nearly as high.
The reaction is not against the banks taking the money, but that it came from overseas. That means that while these sovereign investments may have saved the institutions, they could affect that way that customers deal with them. That is, of course, almost impossible to put a number on.
U.S. consumers and businesses will have to get used to a lot more money coming from outside the US to help firms here, especially those in the financial industry. At the end of the day, Merrill and Citigroup probably don't care if their images are dinged if they can keep doing business.
Of course, Merrill could just move its headquarters to Beijing and Citigroup can head to Abu Dhabi.
Douglas A. McIntyre is an editor at 247wallst.com.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
1-22-2008 @ 9:32PM
Debra said...
Citigroup has a long and questionable history of foreign intervention, going back to the days it was First National City Bank and gave financial assistance to the U.S. covert war in Southeast Asia. They weren't alone in terms of the banks and big corporations still in existence that participated in financing and materials for this and other covert activities by the U.S. It's almost poetic that Citi has to grovel to OUR NATIONAL ENEMIES for money. Those with accounts should pull out