Posted by Jack Lee
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Bank of America Corp and Citigroup Inc shares plummeted for a sixth straight day on Friday, hammered by fears that the U.S. government could nationalize the banks, wiping out shareholders.
Bank of America shares were down 19 percent to $3.20 in early trading, their lowest level since 1984, while Citigroup shares fell 20 percent to $2, their lowest price since the early 1990s.
Both stocks have lost more than 90 percent of their value in the last year.
“It’s a clear sign that the markets are expecting a high probability of them being nationalized,” said Mike Holland, founder of Holland & Co. “The clear expectation is that shareholders would effectively be wiped out.”
The KBW Financial index was down 6.8 percent to 20.42, with Wells Fargo Co shares down 11.6 percent to $10.60, and J.P.Morgan Chase & Co shares down 6 percent to $19.39.