I suppose in the current climate of bank consolidations a buyout is a possibility, although WM management made it pretty clear more than a year ago that they decidedly prefer to be predator and not prey. Certainly, WM or at least parts of it would be a very attractive acquisition for some super-bank, although I am not familiar with the rules viz a viz banks acquiring S&Ls. I just don't spend time thinking over the possibility of a buy-out.
WM seems to be integrating their own large acquisitions, expanding customer services, and improving loan portfolios with moderate to good success. Soon, internal growth should pick up dramatically. I am especially impressed by the Pacific Rim possibilities presented to the West coast franchise.
Don't let the momentary stock price fool you. Many excellent value financial (and other) stocks are in the toilet at the moment. It is an aberrant and anxious market.... idiot fund managers blindly following the momentum, unnecessary FED interference, Internut speculation near to topping out, Y2K, emotional perceptions that the good times can't last forever, presidential elections coming, etc. etc. Yet huge sums of money keep rolling into the behemoth funds and the funds keep pouring it back into the market's momentary winners and ignoring the values.
This too shall pass. All of it. |
