Countrywide question.

Countrywide Question: Shares in Countrywide Financial Corp. soared more than 50 percent after reports surfaced that Bank of America Corp. was in advanced talks to acquire the struggling lender. While no deal was said to be near between the two parties, an announcement was possible at any time. Shares in the Calabasas lender were roiled last week by rumors of bankruptcy as well as legal troubles, falling more than 40 percent before the possible Bank of America deal was reported. In August, the Charlotte, N.C.-based banking giant purchased $2 billion worth of preferred shares convertible into a 16 percent stake in the lender. BofA purchased those shares at $18 per share, but were trading at about $5 last week before the announcement. Since then, mounting defaults, scarce capital and a slumping real estate market have only compounded Countrywide's problems. Countrywide has denied repeatedly that it is considering filing for bankruptcy.