THE PANIC OF 1907THE PANIC OF 1907 THE FINANCIAL CRISIS OF 2007

THE FINANCIAL CRISIS OF 2007

PANDEMONIUM IN THE MARKETS

DEVASTATIONDEVASTATION SAN FRANCISCO EARTHQUAKE

SAN FRANCISCO EARTHQUAKE

Shortly after 5 a.m. on April 18, a 7.8-magnitude quake, unleashed offshore, shook the city for just less than a minute.

EVENTS IN 1906

UNCONTROLLABLE BLAZE

UNCONTROLLABLE BLAZE

80 PERCENT OF THE CITY DESTROYED

80 PERCENT OF THE CITY DESTROYED

Though the damage from the quake was severe, the subsequent fires from broken gas lines caused the vast majority of the destruction.

SAN FRANCISCO EARTHQUAKE 1906

3,000 PEOPLE DIED3,000 PEOPLE DIED THE FIRES RAGED FOR FOUR DAYS

THE FIRES RAGED FOR FOUR DAYS

REMEMBERING THE SAN FRANCISCO EARTHQUAKE OF 1906

TOUGH BALANCING ACT

TOUGH BALANCING ACT INFLEXIBLE CURRENCYINFLEXIBLE CURRENCY

Between 1870 and 1914, many countries adhered to a gold standard.

This strictly tied national money supplies to gold stocks.

Currency was redeemed for gold at a fixed exchange rate.

THE GOLD STANDARD

THE WORLD’S FINANCIAL SYSTEM HAD BECOME COMPLEX & INTERRELATED

At the end of 1905, nearly 50 percent of the fire insurance in San Francisco was underwritten by British firms. The earthquake gave rise to a massive outflow of funds—of gold—from London.

The magnitude of the resulting capital outflows in late summer and early autumn 1906 forced the Bank of England to undertake defensive measures to maintain its desired level of reserves. The central bank responded by raising its discount rate 2.5 percent 1906.

Actions by the Bank of England attracted gold imports and sharply reduced the flow of gold to the United States. Interest rates rose and by May 1907, the United States had fallen into one of the shortest, but most severe, recessions in American history.

GREAT ECONOMIC PROMISE

At the beginning of the century, the nation was brimming with a great amount of optimism.

Here is a list of familiar companies founded between 1900 and 1905.

Eastman KodakFirestone TireFord MotorsHarley-DavidsonHersheyU.S. SteelJ.C. PenneyPepsi-ColaTexacoSylvania Electric

EVENTS IN 1907

In October 1907 two brothers, Otto and F. Augustus Heinze, teamed up with a Wall Street banker in an attempt to manipulate the stock of a copper company.

They planned to corner the market in the copper company's shares by buying aggressively in hopes they could later force short sellers to buy them at high prices.

The plan did not have sufficient backing and failed.

PANIC IN THE STREETS

News the a number of prominent New York bankers were involved in the failed scheme began a crisis of confidence among depositors.

As additional institutions were implicated, queues formed outside numerous banks as people desperately sought their savings.

FURTHER COMPLICATING MATTERS

Trust companies were a financial innovation of the 1890s. They had many functions similar to state and national banks but were much less regulated.

KNICKERBOCKER TRUST COMPANY

GREATER RISKS WERE TAKEN

They were able to hold a wide array of assets and were not required to hold reserves against deposits.

They earned a higher rate of return on investments and paid out higher rates, but, to do this, they had to be highly leveraged.

They took more risks than traditional banks.

Illustration from Harper's Weekly December 20, 1913 by Walter J. Enright

A NEW YORK CITY BANK RUN IN NOVEMBER 1907

The runs on deposits that sparked the Panic of 1907 were at two of the largest New York City trust companies: Knickerbocker Trust and Trust Company of America.

THE IMPACT

The crash and panic of 1907 had a dramatic effect on the health of the American and worldwide economies. In the United States:

Commodity prices fell 21 percent. Industrial production fell more than in any other crisis in American history

to that point. The dollar volume of bankruptcies declared in November was up 47 percent

from the previous year. The value of all listed stocks in the U.S. fell 37 percent. In October and November 1907, 25 banks and 17 trust companies failed.

Thousands of depositors lost their life savings. Gross earnings by railroads fell by 6 percent in December and production

fell 11 percent. Wholesale prices fell 5 percent. Imports shrank 26 percent. In a few short months, unemployment rose from 2.8 percent to 8 percent. Immigration reached a peak of 1.2 million in 1907 but fell to around 750,000

by 1909.

J.P. MORGAN J.P. MORGANNEITHER ELECTED NOR

APPOINTED, HE FELT IT WAS HIS TIME TO ACT

NEITHER ELECTED NOR APPOINTED, HE FELT IT WAS HIS

TIME TO ACT

In the absence of a strong federal regulatory structure or any safety nets, the response to this crisis had to be delivered by a private citizen, J.P. Morgan, the world’s most powerful banker.

He used all of his influence to convince fellow titans of industry to pool their resources and salvage the nation.

The Panic subsided after six weeks.

WHAT WAS DONE?

SPECULATION IN OFF-STREET MARKETS

SPECULATION IN OFF-STREET MARKETS

A BUCKET SHOP IN 1907

A BUCKET SHOP IN 1907

LESSONS FROM THE PANIC OF 1907

Bucket shops were blamed for fueling the speculation in 1907. They enabled people to speculate on the value of a stock without having to purchase the stock itself. The actual order to purchase went in the “bucket.” Beginning in 1909, New York banned bucket shops and other states followed.

THE WORLD MADE HUGE INVESTMENTS IN THE U.S. HOUSING

MARKET

THE WORLD MADE HUGE INVESTMENTS IN THE U.S. HOUSING

MARKET ……….AND LOST!!……….AND LOST!!

By ignoring risk, remaining irrationally optimistic, and forgoing transparency through an array of fantastically complicated investment vehicles, the world’s financial markets were extremely dependent on housing prices.

The underlying assumptions were that housing prices never fall and homeowners almost always pay their mortgages.

THE FINANCIAL CRISIS OF 2007

DURING AND AFTER THE MILD RECESSION OF 2001, THE FED

LOWERS INTEREST RATES

DURING AND AFTER THE MILD RECESSION OF 2001, THE FED

LOWERS INTEREST RATESFORMER FED CHAIRMAN

ALAN GREENSPANFORMER FED CHAIRMAN

ALAN GREENSPAN

THE ORIGINS OF THE CRISIS

FORMER PRESIDENT GEORGE BUSH

FORMER PRESIDENT GEORGE BUSH

STRONGLY PROMOTED HOMEOWNERSHIP

STRONGLY PROMOTED HOMEOWNERSHIP

“We can put light where there’s darkness, and hope where there’s despondency in this country. And part of it is working together as a nation to encourage folks to own their own home” –President Bush, October 15, 2002.

THE ORIGINS OF THE CRISIS

HIGHLY COMPLEX FORMS OF FINANCING

HIGHLY COMPLEX FORMS OF FINANCING

THIS WAS TOO TEMPTING FOR THE FINANCIAL INSTUTIONS

THIS WAS TOO TEMPTING FOR THE FINANCIAL INSTUTIONS

The momentum behind the expansion of homeownership led the government to reduce regulations and capital requirements for making loans.

This led to a dizzying number of innovative ways to get less- qualified borrowers a mortgage and seemed to reduce risk for the lender.

Mortgages could be bundled and sold around the world as securities.

CAUSES OF THE CRISIS

TRUSTED AGENCIES FAILED TO WARN INVESTORS

TRUSTED AGENCIES FAILED TO WARN INVESTORS

RISK-RATING AGENCIES

RISK-RATING AGENCIES

Mortgage-backed securities were constructed of mortgages of differing quality levels.

The obligations of solid and sub-prime borrowers were mixed in a manner that made it very difficult for experts to calculate risk.

The assumption that U.S. housing prices would continue to rise and incentives to provide good ratings led agencies to rate these securities as AAA, lowering investors’ concerns.

CAUSES OF THE CRISIS

WHAT WERE WE THINKING?

WHAT WERE WE THINKING? THE PERFECT STORMTHE PERFECT STORM

Homeownership peaks in early 2005 at 70 percent of households.

The Fed raises interest rates. Home prices fall. Higher adjustable interest rates

increase payments for borrowers.

Borrowers default in waves. Dozens of subprime lenders file

for bankruptcy. Mortgage-backed securities lose

value as investors question their contents.

Financial institutions struggle to find buyers.

EFFECTS OF THE CRISIS

“FINANCIAL WEAPONS OF

MASS DESTRUCTION”Financial institutions could purchase credit default swaps. A CDS is a private insurance contract that paid off if the investment failed. One did not actually have to own the investment to collect on the insurance. These promises were unregulated, and the sellers did not have to set aside money to pay for losses.

THE FINANCIAL CRISIS OF 2007-2009

Bank failures: 183 (2%) 12/07-2/10 (No deposits lost)

Unemployment rate: 10.1% (10/09)

Economic decline: -4.1% (4Q 2007-2Q 2009)

Biggest drop in DJIA: -53.8% (12/07-3/09)

Change in prices: +1.5% (12/07–6/09)

Emergency spending and tax reduction programs: 2.5% of GDP in 2008 and in 2009

Aggressive increase in monetary stimulus by the Fed

THE FINANCIAL CRISIS OF 2007-2009

6.7 million jobs lost in 2008 and 2009

Capital investment levels lowest in 50 years

Domestic demand declines 11 consecutive quarters

Industrial production down worldwide: Japan 31 percent, South Korea 26 percent, Russia 16 percent, Brazil 15 percent, Italy 14 percent, Germany 12 percent

The federal government unleashed a series of remedies in an attempt to limit the contagion.

Massive sums of bank reserves were created to ease fears.

In the process, the taxpayers took over or funded several familiar financial and nonfinancial companies.

This time the government bails out the economy and business leaders and bankers are criticized.

19071907 20072007 Highly complex and linked

financial system Strong growth in the economy

starting in 1900 Many people and institutions

highly leveraged Innovative form of finance:

trust companies Stock market setting all-time

highs A limited role for government Markets swing from great

optimism to great pessimism

Global interdependent financial system

Vibrant economic recovery after recession in 2001

Lenders willing to take more risk in making loans

Unregulated financial institutions: hedge funds

Companies reporting record earnings

Absence of many safety buffers Dow 14,164 to 6,500 in 16

months

SIMILARITIES

19071907 20072007 J.P. Morgan, a private citizen,

orchestrated the bailout The Panic lasted for six weeks,

though the economy didn’t return to pre-Panic levels until 1909

Many banks were closed and many depositors lost their savings

The nation was on the gold standard and the supply of money was fixed

The San Francisco earthquake was a catalyst for the Panic

The climate toward business was hostile prior to crisis

The Federal Reserve and Treasury Department organize the reaction

The event has been unfurling for more than three years

Many banks closed and folded into healthier banks, but depositors did not lose any of their savings

The nation uses Federal Reserve notes, creating a flexible money supply

Hurricane Katrina was generally benign as a catalyst

The climate toward business was friendly prior to crisis

DIFFERENCES