some amazing quotes from this story. "Bear Stearns, founded in 1923, survived the Great Depression and first sold shares to the public in 1985." "Bear Stearns's profit exceeded $2 billion in 2006" "The book value was about $80 a share at the end of November(2007)."

"Shareholders of New York-based Bear Stearns will get stock in JPMorgan equivalent to about $2 a share, compared with $30 at the close on March 14(2008), the two companies said in a statement today." "the price JPMorgan is paying is about one quarter the value of the securities firm's headquarters building in midtown Manhattan. The 1.2 million-square-foot, 45-story structure built in 2001 is worth about $1.2 billion, based on the average $1,000 per- square-foot that comparable office space in the city is currently fetching."