AllupInyourBiz

Lehman Brothers is like a ship bouncing around in rough waters. Last month, it was rumored that the firm was being eyed by Blackstone, HSBC and Barclays, as a possible takeover target. It was recently in negotiations with a South Korean bank to sell half of its holdings. Apparently the deal died before the terms could be finalized. According to Dealbook, takeover rumors are flying again today. Dealbook has learned that “Theodore Janulis, the global head of Lehman’s mortgage capital division, and Richard McKinney, its head of American securitized products, will be leaving the firm.” The meat of the article, however, is the alleged reason for the upgrade in stock rating today. Dealbook reports that Richard X. Bove of Ladenburg Thalman sent a note to his clients, listing the reason for upgrade “Hostile takeover now a possibility.” The reasoning behind this prediction is unclear, but Dealbookspeculates that it could be based on the failed negotiations with the South Korean buyer. More rumormongering? I guess we will see.