September 26, 2008 8:55PM 

# Forestalling the Market 

By Gerald P. O’Driscoll Jr. 

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I have been telling reporters there is plenty of private money available for deals. Witness Bank of America’s purchasing Merrill Lynch; Buffett’s $5 billion investment in Goldman Sachs; and JP Morgan Chase’s purchase of WAMU. But sellers will now hold out for the expected baillout price from Treasury, and that will price private money out. A former colleague on Wall Street confirmed my position this afternoon.

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