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Declaration of Frank C. Torchio for Settlement Purposes

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Case 2:07-cv-05295-MRP -MAN Document 987-4 Filed 10/11/10 Page 69 <strong>of</strong> 721 Page ID<br />

#:39257<br />

156. Countrywide’s stock price declined 7.6% to close at $19.81 per share on August<br />

20, 2007 and the excess return <strong>of</strong> negative 5.7% was statistically significant at the 99%<br />

confidence level. The reported volume was 90.6 million shares, which was significantly greater<br />

than the average daily volume <strong>of</strong> 11.3 million shares.<br />

157. I attribute Countrywide’s excess return <strong>of</strong> negative 5.7% to the analyst downgrade<br />

and related news which corresponds to the <strong>for</strong>eseeable economic effects <strong>of</strong> the alleged fraud.<br />

Thus, I treat August 20, 2007 as a corrective disclosure day, and I include the excess price<br />

change on this day when calculating investor losses.<br />

G. August 21, 2007<br />

158. On Tuesday, August 21, 2007, The Wall Street Journal reported on speculation<br />

by some investors that Berkshire Hathaway could be a buyer <strong>of</strong> parts <strong>of</strong> Countrywide. 133 The<br />

story further reported that Countrywide’s debt-servicing business and its portfolio <strong>of</strong> high-<br />

quality mortgages and mortgage-backed securities could be attractive to Berkshire. 134 This news<br />

story was picked up and widely disseminated by other media sources.<br />

159. Also, on August 21, 2007, be<strong>for</strong>e the market opened <strong>for</strong> trading, the overall U.S.<br />

stock market was up on speculation that the U.S. Federal Reserve might cut its benchmark<br />

customers to know that the highly publicized issues related to the mortgage market do not impact<br />

the safety <strong>of</strong> FDIC insured deposits at Countrywide Bank.” See “Statement by Countrywide<br />

Bank on Its Depository Franchise,” PR Newswire, August 17, 2007, 3:40 pm.<br />

133 “After the Tumult, Is It Buffett Time? --- Berkshire Chief Finds His Popularity Grows<br />

as More Loans Falter,” The Wall Street Journal, August 21, 2007.<br />

134<br />

“After the Tumult, Is It Buffett Time? --- Berkshire Chief Finds His Popularity Grows<br />

as More Loans Falter,” The Wall Street Journal, August 21, 2007.<br />

65

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