@nasdaq100
habe grade nochmals nachgeschaut, meine Befürchtungen werden durch die aktuelle Nachrichtenlage sogar noch übertroffen:
Halliburton stock hits 15-year low amid asbestos liability worries
DALLAS, FRIDAY, JANUARY 04, 2002 6:43 PM - AP WorldStream
Halliburton`s stock hit a 15-year-low Friday amid uncertainty about the oilfield-services company`s ability to pay looming asbestos claims.
The plunge prompted the Dallas-based company to issue a statement saying there was "no basis to the spurious rumor that it has filed for bankruptcy or that such a filing is contemplated." Rumors that there has been a new large asbestos jury verdict against it that has not been announced by the company is also unfounded, the statement said.
Shares of Halliburton fell 88 cents, or 8 percent, to dlrs 10.03 per share on the New York Stock Exchange - off more than 20 percent from a week ago. Poe Fratt, an analyst with A.G. Edwards & Sons Inc., said Halliburton was trading at its lowest level in 15 years. Over the summer, Halliburton shares were listed at a 12-month high of dlrs 49.25.
The shares closed at dlrs 10.22 per share, down 69 cents, or 6.3 percent on Friday.
Halliburton said investor fears are overblown.
"We don`t have anything on our end that warrants the decline. Our business is strong and our financial situation is great," said Cedric Burgher, vice president of investor relations.
"We`ve had asbestos litigation for 25 years," he said. "We`re confident that we`ll continue with this litigation strategy, which is to fight these claims."
Last month, a jury in a Maryland court returned a dlrs 30 million verdict against a spinoff of a Halliburton unit. Halliburton has lost three verdicts totaling more than dlrs 150 million in recent months.
The company vows to appeal, and its general counsel has said he is confident of reversing or reducing the verdicts.
Part of the reason bankruptcy rumors keep resurfacing is other companies that have been involved in asbestos litigation have filed for bankruptcy, said Fratt of A.G. Edwards. "The list is long," he said.
The company has settled 194,000 asbestos-related claims over the years, most without a trial and many without paying anything. New claims have slowed somewhat, but continue to mount, outstripping settled cases by 2,000 in the third quarter, officials said.
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Also nimmt schon die Firma selbst das Wort BANKROTT in den Mund! Sieht ja wohl nicht so gut aus... Und ob sie mit ihrer Aussitzstrategie nochmals durchkommn? Der Markt wird immer härter. Ich denke mal, dass A.G. Edwards (oder Kunden davon) zu den vielen Spekulanten gehören, die Blut geleckt und HAL leerverkauft haben. Oder auch Puts gekauft haben. Manchmal ist LONG PUT halt doch richtiger als SHORT PUT, sollte man stets im Auge behalten. Und ausserdem ist Verlustebegrenzen oft auch besser, als sich eine Aktie andienen zu lassen, die man aus freien Stücken eher nicht haben möchte. Im Übrigen erinnert mich die Geschichte irgendwie an ENRON. Wenn deren Kurs nicht so stark geprügelt worden wäre, dann wäre sie auch nicht so in die Bredouille gekommen. Die könnten heute noch auf 11$ stehen (am Buchwert), wenn nur die bösen Shorties nicht gewesen wären...
