Monday, August 8, 2011

When it Raines it Pours: "Fannie Mae Seeks More Help as Its Loss Grows" (Bailout up to $110 Billion)

The easiest short we ever posted on the blog.
From the New York Times:
Fannie Mae, the mortgage-finance company under government conservatorship, reported a $2.9 billion second-quarter loss on Friday and said it would seek $5.1 billion in Treasury Department aid to balance its books. Fannie Mae requested the money to eliminate a net worth deficit of $5.1 billion for the three-month period that ended June 30, according to a Securities and Exchange Commission filing by the company, which is based in Washington. The loss, which compares with a $1.2 billion loss a year earlier, was mostly a result of credit-related expenses on home loans made before the 2008 financial collapse. Fannie Mae also made a $2.3 billion payment to the Treasury in the second quarter. As of the second quarter, Fannie Mae has drawn $104.8 billion in Treasury aid and paid $14.7 billion in dividends, the company reported. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac together have drawn about $170 billion in taxpayer aid. 
The estimated cost for the two black holes is $350 Billion.