The Balance Sheet Basics of Companies in Crisis

Below are balance sheet basics of companies in crisis, based on their SEC filings. It is likely assets are overstated, but this will give you a good size comparison of the companies who are in or were in crisis:

Bear Stearns had $399 billion in assets and $387 billion in liabilities. They were counterparty to $1.25 trillion in derivatives trades.

Lehman Brothers has $640 billion in assets and $613 billion in liabilities.They are counterparty to $729 billion in derivatives trades.

Merrill Lynch has $966 billion in assets and $931 billion in liabilities. They are counterparty to $4.2 trillion in derivatives trades.

AIG has $1.0 trillion in assets and $972 billion in liabilities. They are counterparty to $447 billion in credit default swaps.

-EPJ Newsdesk