Quotes of the month

"On the day the Jérôme Kerviel story broke, we had two options for the lead story on the main news bulletin: SG, or the official inquiry’s report on the maltreatment of Iraqi prisoners by British soldiers. It had found that the abuses were isolated incidents rather than systematic failures. A bit like SG claimed..."
BBC newsreader Fiona Bruce, who hosted Euromoney’s private banking awards dinner in London on January 31

"It is reckoned about 20% of people here are unemployed or soon to be"
An ex-trader at the American Securitization Forum conference explains why delegates were more focused on the job lists circulating the Superbowl party than the NY Giants’ surprising win

"Frankly, the main reason for it is that the return is extremely attractive...Ah, don’t quote that"
A Mizuho banker gets carried away discussing his firm’s investment in Merrill Lynch

"Sell it immediately"
A banker at a US rival guesses what Citi will do once it completes its acquisition of troubled Japanese broker Nikko Cordial