Shares of American Insurance Group, Inc. increased by almost fifteen percent on Friday as the company paid $2.3 billion into the $85 billion borrowed from the U.S. government in September. Another factor playing into the 27-cent jump was the rumored possibility of a renegotiation of terms on the loan. Spokespeople from both AIG and the federal government refused to comment on the reports.

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It was a brutal day for stocks as the euphoria from the Fannie and Freddie bailout dissipated in response to renewed concerns about weakness in the financial sector. The Dow dropped 280 points to close at 11,231.

Lehman Brothers Inc. (LEH) spooked the market when word spread that the troubled investment bank's negotiations with Korea Development Bank had stalled. Lehman has been aggressively pursuing additional capital in order to provide protection against deteriorating assets and strengthen its balance sheet. Lehman shares were down more than 40% on the day.

The downtrend in the overall market and financial sector was hastened by American Insurance Group, Inc (AIG), as investors speculated that the world's largest insurer would also need to raise more capital to protect itself from exposure to mortgage related assets. AIG has already posted $20 billion in losses over the last three quarters and raised $20

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