E*Trade Financial. As the online broker moves closer to a sale, one sticking point for the potential buyers is the value of its deteriorating mortgage portfolio. The Wall Street Journal reports here that rivals examining its books, thought to be TD Ameritrade and Charles Schwab, are concerned that some of the assets haven’t been marked to current market value.
Northern Rock. In the race to acquire another company weakened by the mortgage crisis, the Virgin Group-led consortium has taken the pole position in the Northern Rock sale, according to this WSJ article. Northern Rock’s directors and U.K. regulators are close to selecting Virgin’s consortium as the preferred bidder to take over the bank.
And six more.
