Treasury Is Said to Warn G.M. of Bankruptcy Risk - NYTimes.com

Treasury Is Said to Warn G.M. of Bankruptcy Risk - NYTimes.com:

"The Treasury Department is directing General Motors to lay the groundwork for a bankruptcy filing by a June 1 deadline, despite G.M.’s public contention that it could still reorganize outside court, people with knowledge of the plans said during the weekend"

and later:

"The preparations are aimed at assuring a G.M. bankruptcy filing is ready should the company be unable to reach agreement with bondholders to exchange roughly $28 billion in debt into equity in G.M. and with the United Automobile Workers union, which has balked at granting concessions without sacrifices from bondholders."

and one last look in:

"....one potential outcome in which the “good G.M.” enters and exits bankruptcy protection in as little as two weeks, using $5 billion to $7 billion in federal financing...The rest of G.M. may require as much as $70 billion in government financing, and possibly more to resolve the health care obligations and the liquidation of the factories.... "

The question we have been talking about in class is why is it that GM has any equity value? WIth its bonds trading at less than 20 cents on the dollar, its pensioners in line to get paid, and bankruptcy looking more and more likely, we could see zero on this one.