Last year China Construction Bank’s net profit soared 10% to $11.9 billion. In the same period, Bank of America, which at the time owned some 19% of the Chinese lender, earned just $4 billion, down 73% from 2007. That’s all you need to know to understand why Bank of America in May sold a 5.8% stake in China Construction Bank for $7.3 billion. Bank of America has been so badly hurt by the U.S. financial crisis that it needs to raise billions of dollars to recapitalize. Meanwhile, Chinese banks are making money hand over fist as China’s economy continues to expand. (Read “Bank of America Needs to Play Its Merrill Card.”)
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