NEW YORK (AFP) — The troubled US bank Washington Mutual has approached certain private equity firms as possible candidates to take it over, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday.
The private investment groups approached include Carlyle Group and Blackstone Group, which may team up with Texas billionaire Gerald Ford, the daily said, citing sources familiar with the matter.
Questions have arisen over Washington Mutual's future since last week's dramatic collapse of investment giant Lehman Brothers and the government rescue of insurance group AIG.
Washington Mutual's shares have lost 80 percent of their value since the beginning of 2008. On Wednesday the ratings agencies Standard & Poor's and Fitch lowered their ratings of the bank's holding company.
Press reports have mentioned JP Morgan Chase, Citigroup and Wells Fargo as other banking groups possibly interested in taking over Washington Mutual. The Wall Street Journal said Santander of Spain had dropped out of the running.
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