Shares of United Airlines lost nearly all their value Monday morning when a false rumor swept financial markets that the struggling carrier had filed for bankruptcy protection. United shares traded at one cent in late morning on the New York Stock Exchange, down 99.92 percent, or $12.29. Its volume was more than 29 million shares. Trading in United shares was halted at 11:08 a.m., pending news from the company. Trading resumed at 12:30 p.m., and by early afternoon, shares had nearly recovered, down 70 cents, to $11.60.A United spokeswoman, Jean Medina, denied the bankruptcy rumor.
The circumstances surrounding the rumor were still being sorted out Monday afternoon.
In a statement, United said the rumor occurred when the Web site of The Sun-Sentinel, a Florida newspaper, posted a six-year-old story from The Chicago Tribune archives about United’s previous bankruptcy filing. The airline operated under bankruptcy protection from 2002 through 2006.
“United has demanded a retraction from The Sun Sentinel and is launching an investigation,” the airline said in a statement.
On its Web site, however, The Chicago Tribune reported a different set of events. The Tribune said a reporter for Income Securities Advisors, an investment research firm based in Miami, found a Tribune article in the Sun-Sentinel archives during a search for information about bankruptcy situations. The reporter at Income Securities posted the article to Bloomberg News, and the rumor then spread rapidly, The Tribune said.
Kinda reminds me of CNBC fanning the flames during the Bear Stearns meltdown. My guess: some hedge fund scamp wanted to drive down the stock. Well done!
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