QuoteI thought that the overall TARP trouble was more than a trillion. So whats 10 billions in more than a trillion? Less than 1%...well if you don't lose money, then you probably made money ! I think the expectation had been that the government would lose something like $250bn in the bailout ...

Actually, order of magnitude of bailout was about $10 trillion, not $1 trillion, and this is not counting the $1 trillion of stimulus Bailout ledger. Just losses for FDIC are expected to exceed $250 billion, probably will exceed $500 billion. Losses from AIG paper costed like $50b cash. Just at the point of AIG bailout Goldman was paid $12 or 13 billion by the Government. On top of if close to $5 B came next quarter to GS from AIG when they unravelled trades at off market levels. Gains in bank shares came after government forced change of accounting rules, allowing prices of any toxic crap at 100%, slashed rates to zero, gave out bailout trillion, and stuffed banks with cash. But who is counting that or those zeros -- two zeros here, one zero there, zero difference. Government made $10 B, what great traders we've got in the government.

Here a report of the SEC on GSSEC report on GSGS would have earnt 25 m$ during the first 63 days of the year and even more 35 times they have earnt more tahn 100m$. But they are not the best JPMorgan have earnt 118m$ per day or more than 5m$ per hour in average.GS have doubled their earning on the year to go up to 3.3b$ . JPMorgan in its case had a growth of 57% to also go up to 57%.To sum up, the 14 first US investment banks have made 78.8 b$ in 3 months.Poor bankers who have suffered SO much of the crisis

QuoteOriginally posted by: frenchXHere a report of the SEC on GSSEC report on GSGS would have earnt 25 m$ during the first 63 days of the year and even more 35 times they have earnt more tahn 100m$. But they are not the best JPMorgan have earnt 118m$ per day or more than 5m$ per hour in average.GS have doubled their earning on the year to go up to 3.3b$ . JPMorgan in its case had a growth of 57% to also go up to 57%.To sup up, the 14 first US investment banks have made 78.8 b$ in 3 months.Poor bankers who have suffered SO much of the crisis never mind the risk, just measure the profit

QuoteOriginally posted by: frenchXTo sum up, the 14 first US investment banks have made 78.8 b$ in 3 months.Something tells me that this seemingly large number barely begins to cover the unrealized losses and equity short-falls sitting on IB balance sheets.

QuoteOriginally posted by: Traden4AlphaQuoteOriginally posted by: frenchXTo sum up, the 14 first US investment banks have made 78.8 b$ in 3 months.Something tells me that this seemingly large number barely begins to cover the unrealized losses and equity short-falls sitting on IB balance sheets.Or, more likely, sitting off those balance sheets.

QuoteOriginally posted by: FermionQuoteOriginally posted by: Traden4AlphaQuoteOriginally posted by: frenchXTo sum up, the 14 first US investment banks have made 78.8 b$ in 3 months.Something tells me that this seemingly large number barely begins to cover the unrealized losses and equity short-falls sitting on IB balance sheets.Or, more likely, sitting off those balance sheets.Indeed!The Fed & UST seem determined to inflate bank profits to paper-over the losses. Now the ECB has joined the game to boost the finances of loss-afflicted, liability-hobbled sovereigns. I can only hope it works.

QuoteOriginally posted by: Traden4AlphaI can only hope it works.Well, the last time we had a little extra money, and we had the option of whether or not to spend it and go completely broke, we spent it. But this time is different. This time we know for sure nothing bad will happen to us if we go completely broke.