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Strategies & Market Trends : The Residential Real Estate Crash Index -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Smiling Bob who wrote (107314)	2/29/2008 1:26:05 PM
From: saveslivesbyday	Respond to of 306849

AAA for Ambak would likely lift the market - temporarily

To: Smiling Bob who wrote (107314)	3/3/2008 11:02:00 AM
From: Smiling Bob	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 306849

DOW - expecting a test of 12k today with a bounce near the close to 12030-12050 Message 24363849

To: Smiling Bob who wrote (107314)	3/4/2008 8:13:35 AM
From: Smiling Bob	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 306849

C'mon Ben-forget about your speech today and save us NOW! This would be the time to do it. Don't let Cramer down. -- J Moody's:Weak Economy, Credit Crisis To Boost US Junk Defaults . NEW YORK (Dow Jones)--Defaults among junk-rated U.S. borrowers are likely to jump sharply this year despite limited refinancing needs, because the worsening economy may push companies into conflicts with their increasingly rigid lenders, Moody's Investors Service said Tuesday. The ratings company expects the default rate for U.S. speculative-grade issuers to rise to 5.3% by the end of the year from 0.9% at the end of 2007. That isn't because more debt is coming due. Of the $86 billion in borrowings due through 2010, only $13 billion must be paid off in 2008, Moody's said. Instead, the problem for companies is that poor results could cause them to violate the terms of their borrowings at a time when lenders, stressed themselves, are in no mood to grant leeway. "Neither the housing market nor the credit market shows any meaningful signs of a near-term rebound, creating the risk that slowing business trends could ultimately pressure profitability and cash flow generation at many companies, and potentially lackluster results could lead to covenant violations," Moody's said in a report on companies' refunding needs. "In the past, banks would generally be expected to waive or amend covenants for a slight fee. However, in today's uncertain economic environment, it will be harder, and more expensive, to refinance upcoming maturities if banks are less forgiving about covenant violations." Defaults among nonfinancial companies will be heaviest in the construction and building industry, with a forecast rate of 12% in 2008, Moody's said. Containers, packaging and glass could see a 9% default rate, and hotels, gaming and leisure could see a 6% default rate, Moody's said. "The relatively benign maturity schedule belies the ever-increasing risk of default that speculative-grade companies face amid the continuing fallout from the subprime crisis," Moody's wrote. "Ongoing market and financial pressure - including the escalating potential for covenant violations - trumps the apparent ebb in speculative-grade companies' refinancing needs." -By Andrew Dowell, Dow Jones Newswires; 201-938-5175; andrew.dowell@dowjones.com (END) Dow Jones Newswires March 04, 2008 08:09 ET (13:09 GMT) Copyright (c) 2008 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.- - 08 09 AM EST 03-04-08