"Taking it one day at a time because there is nothing better to do than living in the present."

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Faith in the system in question?

I have been taught that when you do the right thing, good things will happen to you. Tonight Citigroup announced they have raised $17 billion through the sale of 5.4 billion common shares at $3.15. Bloomberg Link.

The global credit crisis of 2008 brought the financial industry to its knees. One resultant is that of Citigroup being assisted by federal government diluting the common share value dramatically. This was required because certain individuals of the company took the wrong side of a bet and lost big. Dramatically no one is held responsible for the company's mistakes and in turn the tax payers were shouldered for the mistakes. Any government money in the end really comes down to tax payer money.

Excluding all the money I lost investing in Citigroup over the years I am avoiding any trades with this company. Already depressed with my loss this news of hearing Citigroup diluting it's shareholders even more makes me... no words can express my anger. How on earth can they get away with this?

Oh, the government is helping them. The government's intervention in 2008 to save Citigroup priced in at $45 billion in preferred shares and assistance paying a portion of the company's $301 billion losses in investments. Reference Link. In 2009 the government owned, no tax payer owned, preferred shares were transitioned to common shares at $3.25 a piece.

Just in the recent days Bank of America accumulated $20 billion in a stock sale diluting their shareholders in order to pay back their share of the TARP money- government assistance. Citigroup and Wells Fargo not wanting to be left out decided to dilute their own shareholders too and tonight Citigroup has paid back the TARP money they owed. In doing so Citigroup as a company will avoid $38 billion in taxes to the federal government and forced shareholders, mainly tax payers, to pay back the TARP money through a common shareholder dilution.

The $3.15 per share dilution is below the investment the government paid for owning about 1/3 of the common shares before dilution. In essence tax payers got shafted in every which way possible. Reference Link.

There is no way to hide from the loses. Even if I do not invest in the market the government will just take my money and your money and waste it for the benefit of wall street. To put icing on the cake Citigroup having paid back their share of the TARP money will now be allowed to pay their employees beyond the restricted $500,000 for the year 2009. Reference Link. The employees that created the global credit crisis.

This in inhumane and it will continue indefinitely as long as the American population allows it. I want to know if someone does wrong, should they not be punished for it? I can only hope this question will be answered sooner rather than later.

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All information in this blog are not to be used as investments by anyone. It is shown only to record my own experiences in the markets. I am not responsible for any lose, pain, anguish, or death you may have from following my trades. Therefore I polity warn all readers to use this site's information at their own discretion.