Washington Mutual's Covered Bonds Courseware

Daniel Baird Bergstresser; Robin  Greenwood; James  Quinn

Supplement | HBS Case Collection | March 2009 (Revised November 2009)

Washington Mutual's Covered Bonds Courseware

by Daniel Baird Bergstresser, Robin Greenwood and James Quinn

Abstract

Washington Mutual issues 6 billion Euro of covered bonds in 2006. The objective of the case is to ask whether these bonds are mispriced in late 2008. The case is set in September 20008, and Washington Mutual is facing considerable distress due to mounting losses on its mortgage portfolio. Following investment bank Lehman Brother's Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection filing in mid September, the price of Washington Mutual's covered bonds has fallen to 75 per 100 of face value. As these bonds are over-collateralized, the case asks students to evaluate the underlying collateral portfolio in the event of liquidation, as well as assessing the likelihood of different outcomes. The case takes place during a period of considerable uncertainty in the global capital markets.

Keywords: Banks and Banking; Bonds; Education; Information; Banking Industry;

Format: Multimedia

1 pages

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Citation:

Bergstresser, Daniel Baird, Robin Greenwood, and James Quinn. "Washington Mutual's Covered Bonds Courseware." Harvard Business School Spreadsheet Supplement 209-724, March 2009. (Revised November 2009.)

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Washington Mutual's Covered Bonds Courseware

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