Quote from forestfire:
"It would be very suprising if cost of Northern Rock takeover would exceed 5 % of balance sheet."
What's the cost of takeover got to do with it? NR has been nationalised and the UK govt has already made loans of £55b to NR. I wouldn't be suprised if the govtends up financing the whole £100b+ loan book, seeing as the majority of the half wits that got it where it is are still in place.
Giving loan to troubled bank does not necessary cost anything to british government.
But probably british goverment does not all the market interest from forced "investment" it had to make to Northern Rock.
The number of losses british goverment has to to take should anyhow be less than 5 % of Northern Rock liabilities.
When bank goes to bankrupt is does not mean that bank has no or little assets. Bank just has too little equity or negative equity.