America's $14,000,000,000 Deutsche Bank Demand

BILLS for pre-crisis buccaneering are still coming in. Deutsche Bank, Germany’s biggest lender, confirmed on September 15th that America’s Department of Justice (DoJ) had asked for $14 billion to settle possible claims connected with the underwriting and sale of residential mortgage-backed securities (RMBSs) between 2005 and 2007. The next day Deutsche’s share price, already reeling after a wretched year, plunged by 8%. It was groggier still after the weekend, closing on September 20th at a 30-year low (see chart).