3/10/08 – Allegations of fraud and growing mortgage losses swirl around CFC. BAC affirms that the purchase will go through. (37.13 – 35.31)

4/21/08 – BAC misses earnings as bad debt gets written down $6B. Moody’s cuts ratings of BAC to Aa2. (37.79 – 37.61)

5/15/08 – CEO Ken Lewis criticizes the bailouts of Wall Street firms. (Sorry, couldn’t resist.) Aside from Bear, at that time, it was mostly Fed lending programs. (36.88 – 36.71)

5/21/08 – BAC sells $2.7B of preferred stock. (35.40 – 34.63)

6/2/08 – CEO Lewis calls the CFC deal compelling. (33.84 – 33.58)

6/19/08 – Price of CFC deal adjusted down. (28.46 – 28.14)

7/1/08 – CFC deal closes. (23.31 – 23.81)

7/8/08 – CEO Lewis announces that the dividend will be maintained, and there is no need to raise more capital. (21.56 – 23.54)

7/16/08 – Fitch cuts BAC rating two notches to A+. (19.45 – 22.67)

7/21/08 – BAC beats estimates for 2Q08. Also announces that it does not plan to guarantee the debts of CFC. (27.85 – 32.35)

9/10/08 – KBW cuts BAC to underperform, citing constrained capital. (32.97 – 32.40)

9/15/08 – BAC agrees to buy MER for $44B as Lehman goes into Chapter 11. S&P cuts BAC’s rating to AA-. (28.23 – 26.55)

10/6/08 – BAC misses 3Q estimates, cuts the dividend, and announces an offering of common stock. (29.65 – 23.77)

10/8/08 – BAC raises $10B through selling common stock. (23.33 – 19.63)

17. 10/16/08 – MER announces fifth straight quarterly loss of $5.1B. (24.41 — 24.25)

10/30/08 – BAC announces a $15B issue of preferred stock to the US Government under the TARP program. $10B for Merrill (23.31 – 22.78)

11/18/08 – CEO Lewis says MER acquisition is on track. (15.17 – 15.19)

20. 12/5/08 – BAC sells $9B of FDIC-backed debt. (13.90 – 15.24)

12/11/08 – BAC announces job cuts of 35,000. (16.33 – 14.91)

12/19/08 — S&P cuts BAC’s rating to A+. (14.07 – 13.80)

1/2/09 – BAC closes MER deal. (13.92 – 14.33)

1/7/09—BAC sells $2.8B of China Construction Bank stock. (14.11 – 13.71)

1/8/09 – Moody’s cuts ratings of BAC to Aa3. (13.82 – 13.54)

1/16/09 — $138B lifeline extended by the US Government — $20B more of preferred stock, and guarantees on assets and derivatives equal to $118B. BAC cuts dividend to 1 cent/share. (7.18 – 5.10)

1/23/09 – John Thain fired as Merrill loses $15.4B for 4Q08. (5.37 – 6.24)

2/20/09 – CEO Lewis says that the finances of BAC are fine, and they don’t need additional help. (3.61 – 3.79)

2/24/09 – CEO Lewis says that BAC is stronger than rivals. (4.03 – 4.73)

2/25/09 – CEO Lewis says that Countrywide and Merrill will be stars in 2009. (You can’t make these up.) (4.81 – 5.16)

3/3/08 — S&P cuts BAC’s rating to A.