Monday, September 8, 2008

United Airlines shares plunge on fake story


United Airlines temporarily lost most of its market value on Monday after a false report the carrier had returned to bankruptcy court surfaced on the internet. A six-year-old Chicago Tribune story on United’s 2002 bankruptcy filing – spotted on a Google search by an investment newsletter – triggered a sell-off of the carrier’s shares that ended when trading was halted. The stock reached a low of $3, then rebounded once trading resumed to close down 11 per cent. Investors accepted the article as news that the Chicago-based airline had once again sought protection from creditors, a scenario that had grown more feasible in the past year as jet fuel prices skyrocketed. More... Magazine Lane - Discount Cigarettes & Tobacco - Nutty News Marketplace - Fast Floors - Email This Article