Se rumora que la mayor hipotecaria en EU, Coutrywide, está en bancarrota

Como el artículo menciona, 20 hipotecarias han quebrado en EU desde 2006...

Jan. 8 (Bloomberg) -- Countrywide Financial Corp. dropped the most since Black Monday in October 1987 in New York trading on speculation that it needs cash to continue operating its mortgage business.

``There's some sort of rumor that they would go under, but it's purely a rumor,'' said Thomas Garcia, head of trading at Thornburg Investment Management, which oversees about $50 billion in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Investors drove Countrywide shares down 79 percent last year on concern the company was suffering from a cash shortage. The company tapped emergency credit lines and got a bailout from Bank of America Corp. as the worst housing slump in 16 years fueled bets that Countrywide might seek bankruptcy court protection.

``There is no substance to the rumor that Countrywide is planning to file for bankruptcy,'' spokesman Rick Simon said in a statement. Calabasas, California-based Countrywide has said it has adequate liquidity to run its business and predicted in October that it will be profitable this year. The company posted its first loss in 25 years during the third quarter.

Countrywide shares lost $2.17, or 28 percent, to $5.47. They sank to the lowest price since July 1996. On so-called Black Monday on Oct. 19, 1987, the Dow Jones Industrial Average tumbled 23 percent.