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Meredith Whitney

Latest Headlines

Latest Headlines

Muni bond market on the mend

We've read a lot about the dire state of local finances, and Meredith Whitney's prediction of doom-and-gloom in the muni bond market generated lots of media around December. But can it be that the market is actually on the mend? Whitney's controversial research predicted a wave of defaults

Jefferson County muni default could be largest in history

If bond holders and Jefferson County, Alabama officials cannot come to an agreement, the county will soon have the dubious distinction of being the largest muni default in the history of the United States. That default would pale of course in the face of a default by the U.S. government, which

Muni bonds avoid mass defaults

Recall Wall Street analyst Meredith Whitney, who sent a controversial jolt through the bond world when she forecast up 100 "sizable defaults" by local governments, amounting to hundreds of billions of dollars in a few years. As Reuters notes, it hasn't turned out that way. Only 26 issues d

Meredith Whitney sticks to bearish muni prediction

Meredith Whitney generated lots of controversy last year with her hyper-bearish report on municipal bonds. It was one of the first to come from her then-new research firm. Whitney predicted between 50 and 100 "significant" municipal bond defaults in 2011. If true, the defaults would wreak mass

Bank of America to slash branches to cut costs

We've noted the consumer banking woes of Bank of America, the dominant bank in that market. Slow growth in deposits and loans as well as various fee cuts, mainly the result of credit and debit card reform, have led to concerns that revenue would be hard to revive, and that scenario seems to be

Funds look for ways to short the muni market

You have to credit Meredith Whitney with one thing: She really galvanized people to take a look at the muni market. Some have decided she and other super bears are nuts. Others are nervous and looking to hedge. That brings up an interesting issue raised by the Financial Times . How do you g

Meredith Whitney faces even more criticism

We've noted that star analyst Meredith Whitney faced a lot of criticism for her bold, perhaps rash, prediction of extreme pain in the muni-bond market. That criticism continues to mount, stoked by her decision not to participate in a Congressional hearing that will examine, among other things,

Meredith Whitney still under fire for muni prediction

Analyst Meredith Whitney may enjoy rock star status on Wall Street, but that rank comes with a downside--lots of scrutiny. Case in point: Her bold prediction of a super-bear market in municipal bonds. In a lengthy report that was heavily marketed, her firm forecasted a lot of pain and perhaps 50 t

Forecaster predicts the next crisis

Financial crisis always present opportunities for economists and forecasters to make a name for themselves. There were several who burnished their personal brands by fairly accurately calling the financial meltdown of the late 2000s. Nouriel Roubini, Robert Schiller, Meredith Whitney and a few oth

Wall Street's secret society adds new members in annual rite

Wall Street's secret society, Kappa Beta Phi, is not much of a secret. Everyone knows about it, especially the media, which loves to write about it nonetheless. It's an annual rite: the media tries to sneak in while members try to keep them out. Bloomberg was there briefly, just long