Die US-Notenbank hat angesichts der jüngstenZuspitzung der Finanzkrise eine Reihe von Maßnahmen zur Stützung derFinanzmärkte angekündigt. Unter anderem sollen weitere Formen von Sicherheitenfür Geld der Notenbank akzeptiert werden.
Damit sollten die "möglichen Risiken und Störungen derFinanzmärkte" abgefedert werden. Auch ein weltweites Banken-Konsortium gabMaßnahmen zur Sicherung der Liquidität bekannt.
Ein Zusammenschluss von zehn großen Banken will unterdessen einenMilliarden-Fonds zur Absicherung gegen mögliche Liquiditätsengpässe auflegen.Das Volumen liegt bei 70 Milliarden US-Dollar.
Ausserdem aktzeptiert die FED die Annahme von Aktien als Gegenleistung für Zentralbankgeld. Damit sollen sich die Banken leichter Liquidität beschaffenkönnen und "die potenziellen Risiken und die Störungen des Marktesabgeschwächt werden", erklärte Notenbank-Chef Ben Bernanke.
Bloomberg:
A group of 10 banks that includes JPMorgan Chase & Co., Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and Citigroup Inc. separately formed a $70 billion fund to ensure market liquidity.
``The steps we are announcing today, along with significant commitments from the private sector, are intended to mitigate the potential risks and disruptions to markets,'' Fed Chairman Ben S. Bernanke said in a statement released in Washington today.
The central bank's action is aimed at assuring Wall Street that short-term funding will be readily available as New York markets open. U.S. stock-index futures slumped 3 percent in Asian trading on concern a Lehman failure will deepen the yearlong credit crisis and worsen the U.S. economy's downturn.
Banks and brokers opened a special over-the-counter derivatives trading session today to consolidate trades with New York-based Lehman. The firm and its lawyers are getting ready to file the documents for bankruptcy protection tonight, a person with direct knowledge of the plans said.
The Fed will now accept equities in the Primary Dealer Credit Facility, its program for lending cash directly to securities firms, in addition to investment-grade debt. The central bank first set up the program in March in the wake of the collapse of Bear Stearns Cos.
$200 Billion
Collateral for the Term Securities Lending Facility, which auctions loans of Treasuries, will now include all investment- grade debt securities. The size of the TSLF will also increase to $200 billion from $175 billion, the Fed said.
Today's steps may spur speculation the Fed's next move will be to lower its benchmark interest rate, rather than raise it. Expectations of at least a quarter point cut in the 2 percent rate by December soared to 31 percent Sept. 12 from 11 percent a week before.
