Friday, August 22, 2008

Korean Bank to Buy Lehman?

At least that is what this rumors says.

State-run Korea Development Bank said Friday that it will consider acquiring Lehman Brothers (nyse: LEH - news - people ). The announcement follows a report that KDB and another Asian investor had walked away from a potential deal with the U.S. investment bank. It also comes a day after Ladenburg Thalmann analyst Dick Bove upgraded Lehman's stock to "buy" because he believed the brokerage has become a hostile takeover candidate.

The problem I am seeing with this possible deal is that it might be blocked in the same way that the Dubai ports deal was blocked. It would be done on idiotic, protectionist, knee-jerk, anti-foreign sentiment. I know that Korea and Dubai are viewed differently by Congress (hopefully they could find both on a map) but you never know.

I guess since they allowed the Belgians and Canadians to buy our beer companies they won't stand in the way of this deal. I think the word state-owned in front of Korean Development Bank is what is giving me pause and not letting me pull the trigger.

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