JPMorgan moves closer to deal to buy ailing Bear Stears

The L.A. Times reports:

Bear Stearns and JPMorgan Chase & Co. were close to an emergency buyout deal today night aimed at averting further panic in the financial markets.

Top executives from both companies were in 11th-hour talks about a deal that could sell Bear Stearns for a per share price that is likely to be "considerably less" than the $30 the stock closed at Friday, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Bear Stearns shares closed down $27, or 47.4 percent, to $30 on Friday as investors worried about a possible failure of the investment bank. The drop wiped $5.7 billion from the company's market value. JPMorgan shares fell $1.57, or 4.1 percent, to $36.54 on Friday.

Both sides were in a rush to complete a deal before financial markets opened in Asia for Monday morning trading, amid fears that a crisis of confidence could roil the system further, according to sources close to the talks that were not authorized to comment on the record.