Barron's (subscription required) reports that the news this week about Auction Rate Securities (ARS) leaves $220 billion worth of the $330 billion market still frozen. Those among the two-thirds of ARS holders who have not gotten any good news must have mixed feelings -- happy that some of their colleagues have the potential for relief, but wondering when they will get their money back.

The ARS market is complicated because the securities were issued in many different forms. Barron's reports that these issuers include "municipalities, closed-end funds, student-loan trusts and collateralized debt obligations [CDOs]." Many of these issuers have announced little, if any relief for those frozen in ARS hell. For example:

• Municipal ARS market has fallen 40% from $175 billion to $105 billion since the beginning of 2008 and only "5% to 8% of muni auctions are proceeding -- at interest rates of 8% to 15%."
• Closed-end funds have reduced the amount of ARS outstanding by 37% from $64 billion to $40 billion. For example, Nuveen's closed-end funds sold $500 million of variable-rate demand-preferred shares (VRDPs) last week to replace the same amount of ARS. (VRDPs' interest rates reset in auctions but have a put option that allows an investor to sell the VRDP to the bank running the auction if it fails). Barron's thinks that if the VRDP market functions, "more than 50% of closed-end-fund ARS could be redeemed" by the end of 2008.

Continue reading Barron's: Miles to go before Auction Rate Securities holders can sleep

Barron's: Miles to go before Auction Rate Securities holders can sleep originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 09 Aug 2008 08:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

SLM (NYSE: SLM) is recently at $20 in pre-open trading below its close of $22.13.

SLM said it will sell $2.5 billion in stock and other securities to raise cash needed to settle contracts under which it effectively bet that its own stock would not decline by a large amount in price.

Thomas Weisel lowered its price target on SLM from $31 to $25.

SLM January option implied volatility is at 79; February is at 85; above its 26-week average of 47 according to Track Data, suggesting larger price movements.

Options Update is provided by Stock Specialist Paul Foster of theflyonthewall.com

Options update 12-27-07: SLM volatility up as shares near seven-year low originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 27 Dec 2007 09:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.