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| The Bear Stearns Companies Inc. Summary: According to a press release dated March 17, 2008, the complaint charges Bear Stearns and certain of its officers and directors with violations of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Bear Stearns, through its broker-dealer and international bank subsidiaries, provides investment banking, securities and derivatives trading, clearance, and brokerage services worldwide. The complaint alleges that during the Class Period, defendants issued materially false and misleading statements regarding the Company’s business and financial results. As a result of defendants’ false statements, Bear Stearns stock traded at artificially inflated prices during the Class Period, reaching a high of $159.36 per share in April 2007. In late June 2007, news about Bear Stearns’ risky hedge funds began to enter the market and its stock price began to fall. On March 10, 2008, information leaked into the market about Bear Stearns’ liquidity problems, causing the stock to drop to as low as $60.26 per share before closing at $62.30 per share. On March 13, 2008, news that Bear Stearns was forced to seek emergency financing from the Federal Reserve and J.P. Morgan Chase hit the market and Bear Stearns stock fell to $30 per share. Then, on Sunday, March 16, 2008, it was announced that J.P. Morgan Chase was purchasing Bear Stearns for $2 per share. By midday on Monday, March 17, 2008, Bear Stearns stock had collapsed another 85% to $4.30 per share on volume of 75 million shares. According to the complaint, the Company’s Class Period statements were materially false due to defendants’ failure to inform the market of the problems in the Company’s hedge funds due to the deteriorating subprime mortgage market, which would cause Bear Stearns to have to rescue the funds, cause the Company and its officers possible criminal liability and hurt the Company’s reputation. INDUSTRY CLASSIFICATION: SIC Code: 6211 Sector: Financial Industry: Investment Services
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