Dick Bové Gives Citi's Balance Sheet Two Thumbs Up
To the haters: you're living in the past!
First of all Citigroup has..$180 billion in cash, and I believe they have another $60 billion in securities which are guaranteed by the US government, treasuries or agencies. So what we are talking about is roughly 11%, or one out of every $9 on Citigroup's balance sheet is cash. That is an unusually high number. It is extraordinarily strong and it would suggest that the balance sheet is in very good condition...The company is over-capitalized. The company has excess liquidity and that is the basis of growing the earnings at an unusually rapid rate into the future and if people are buying stocks based on what is supposed to happen in the future, as opposed to the Iliad or ancient history then I think Citigroup's balance sheet looks pretty good.
