Are Lehman Brothers' options dwindling?

July 24, 2008 | By Jim Kim

Will Lehman Brothers be forced to sell its Neuberger Berman asset management unit? There's been a lot of talk that it might be forced to find a buyer, or sell shares to the public. A UBS analyst just told clients that the bank will likely take that step in concert with a sale of risky assets, basically about $30 billion worth of mortgage-related stuff, reports the New York Post. I'm sure the bank has considered these options. My guess would be that the valuations just aren't there. But Lehman, like other banks, may not have a lot of choice. It could take its dividend from 17 cents to zero and not raise much. Foreign investors do not seem to be biting. A leveraged buyout looks iffy, so short of selling the entire company, what else can it do but sell assets? Of course, in a best-case scenario, the capital it has already raised--$12 billion--will be enough. Of note, its stock is now back above book value.

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