In a few years, we shall look back at this time as one that redefined the landscape of the US financial system and, by association, the workings of global capital markets. The process is inevitably chaotic as it is driven by “crisis management” reactions rather than the calm implementation of well formulated medium-term measures. As such, the overall picture will become clear only over time. Yet it is possible to make specific predictions.

The financial system is at a crossroads. At current market prices, the system remains under-capitalised despite some $350bn (€220bn, £176bn) of capital-raising over the past 12 months. More­over, given the collapse in their equity prices, a growing number of institutions, including such behemoths as Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, the mortgage agencies, are essentially un­able to raise capital without government help. The longer this situation prevails, the higher the risk the financial system will face difficulties in raising other financing critical to day-to-day operations. This would accelerate forced sales of assets into illiquid markets, leading to another downward leg in an already vicious negative spiral.