Lewis Puts Money Where Mouth Is

美国银行(Bank of America Corp.)董事长兼首席执行长刘易斯(Kenneth Lewis)增持20万股该行普通股，希望借此让员工投资者和董事会相信，他和银行管理层能够带领美国银行走出眼下的危机。美国银行股票周四盘中曾创出1984年10月以来的新低，此后出现反弹，最终上涨2.98%，收于4.84美元。分析师认为，该股的巨幅波动体现了对美国政府干预美国银行业务程度的担忧。美国银行是美国资产最大的银行。政府官员在美国银行收购美林(Merrill Lynch & Co.)的过程中起到了举足轻重的作用，刘易斯也因此饱受指责。在参议员多德(Christopher Dodd)公开驳斥有关政府可能很快对美国银行实行国有化的猜测后，美国银行股价立刻出现了上扬。刘易斯在备忘录中向员工表示，上周，他同董事们在夏洛特的银行总部举行了所有人记忆中最漫长的一次董事会会议。董事会一致支持我们的商业模式战略方向和团队。同以往一样，我们承担着执行的重担，承担着责任，不能辜负他们对我们的信任。刘易斯称公司1月份的业绩“令人鼓舞”。他说，上季度资本市场极其混乱使我们遭受损失，现在局面看来已经有所缓和，但信贷成本仍是个大问题。刘易斯承认，全公司上下都削减了年终奖，高层经理减少的幅度最大。据知情人士说，在许多情况下，奖金将在2009年期间分四批以现金形式延期发放，前四分之一将在3月份发放，其余部分在以后几个月分批支付。刘易斯周四增持股票的价值为958,340美元，此前他于1月20日时购买了20万股。刘易斯目前拥有220多万股美国银行股票。包括首席董事斯隆(Temple Sloan)和退役美国将军弗兰克斯(Tommy Franks)在内的几名董事周四也增持了20多万股美国银行股票。分析师周四对美国银行事实上是否会成为国有化的目标看法不一。Raymond James的分析师安东尼•波利尼(Anthony Polini)称对美国银行国有化的担忧是“荒谬的”。他说，该股已跌至如此之低，产生影响的就是恐惧本身。这样一来，即使是最理智的投资者也会想：“我一定错了，这其中一定有些是真的，这只股票还会继续下跌”。Fox-Pitt Kelton分析师马克特(Andrew Marquardt)向客户称，目前美国银行的股价已反映了最坏的情况。他说，不但政府需要采取决定性的行动，美国银行也需要。美国银行对股价新救助计划的可能影响和要求调整管理层的呼声不予置评。Dan Fitzpatrick / Susanne Craig相关阅读政府强行做媒 美银悔娶美林 2009-02-05IBM美国银行等公司纷纷裁员 2009-01-27前美林CEO回击美国银行指责 2009-01-27美国银行受累美林 董事长职位不稳 2009-01-26美林前CEO塞恩被逐出美国银行 2009-01-23塞恩被逐 美林员工人心惶惶 2009-01-23美林前CEO塞恩辞去在美国银行职务 2009-01-23 本文涉及股票或公司document.write (truthmeter('2009年02月06日12:04', 'BAC'));美国银行英文名称：Bank of America Corp.总部地点：美国上市地点：纽约证交所股票代码：BAC


Bank of America Corp. Chairman and Chief Executive Kenneth Lewis purchased an additional 200,000 shares of the Charlotte, N.C., bank's common stock in his latest effort to convince employees, investors and the board that he and his management team can lead it out of its current crisis.The bank's shares fell on Thursday to their lowest level since October 1984 before rebounding to close at $4.84, up 2.98%. Analysts attributed the volatility to concerns about how involved the U.S. government is in the affairs of the nation's largest bank by assets.Government officials played a heavy hand in Bank of America's acquisition of securities firm Merrill Lynch & Co., for which Mr. Lewis has been under fire. The stock's price improved once U.S. Sen. Christopher Dodd (D., Conn.) publicly dismissed speculation that the U.S. could soon nationalize Bank of America.Last week, Mr. Lewis went before his directors in Charlotte for 'the longest board meeting in anyone's memory,' he told employees in a memo. 'The board unanimously endorsed our business model, strategic direction and the team. The burden of execution and accountability, as always, rests squarely on our shoulders to vindicate their confidence in us.'He called the company's performance in January 'encouraging.' The 'extreme dislocations in the capital markets we suffered last quarter seem to have moderated' but 'credit costs continue to be a big issue.'Mr. Lewis acknowledged that year-end bonuses were cut across the company, with higher-ranking managers taking the largest 'hits.' In many cases, according to people familiar with the situation, bonuses are being distributed in four chunks of deferred cash during 2009, with the first 25% paid in March and the rest coming in installments over the course of the year.The CEO's purchase of stock Thursday amounted to a payout of $958,340 and follows another pickup of 200,000 shares on Jan. 20. Mr. Lewis now owns more than 2.2 million Bank of America shares. Several other directors, including lead director Temple Sloan and retired U.S. Army General Tommy Franks, also picked up more than 200,000 additional shares Thursday.Analysts debated Thursday whether the bank could in fact be a candidate for nationalization. Raymond James analyst Anthony Polini called concerns about nationalizing Bank of America 'absurd.' The stock has been driven so low that 'fear itself does the work for you,' he said. 'After a while, even the most rational, intelligent investor starts to think, 'I must be wrong, there must be some truth to this, the stock keeps going down.''Fox-Pitt Kelton analyst Andrew Marquardt told clients that the bank's shares now reflect 'a worst-case scenario.' He added that decisive actions are needed not only by the government, but also at Bank of America.Bank of America declined to comment on the stock price, the likely effect of a new rescue plan or calls for management changes.Dan Fitzpatrick / Susanne Craig