Bear Stearns China investor gets ready to walk

Until recently, it appeared that Bear Stearns (NYSE: BSC) had one investor still happy with putting money into the investment bank. That would be China's CITIC Securities. The capital would have given the firm a relationship with a large U.S. financial company. It has some real strategic value.

Over the weekend, CITIC sent a message that was the equivalent of saying "goodbye and good luck" According to Reuters, CITIC stated, "We cannot guarantee reaching a final agreement in the future."

While the news should not surprise anyone, it may just be the tip of the iceberg for U.S. banks and brokerages. Overseas financial institutions have been willing to put money into U.S. firms to get joint ventures in place. Sovereign funds have sent out checks to troubled Wall Street operations because they feel that when the U.S. economy turns, the equity they have purchased will rise in value.

The debacle at Bear Stearns may change much of that. The perception of the risk of putting money into U.S. financial companies may have doubled.

That leaves the Fed as the only check book left.