These days, Bank of America, Citi, JPMorgan Chase, and others also help corporations and municipalities raise money by issuing stocks, bonds, and other securities on their behalf.

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Over the past two decades, emerging market countries and companies have increasingly looked to the private capital markets (i.e. the issuing of stocks and bonds) for larger-scale funding and away from their traditional reliance on syndicated commercial bank loans and Western government financing vehicles.

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Bankia, which has already been bailed out, fell more than 25% on the news, as they unveiled plans to fire 6, 000 employees, close 1, 117 branches (39% of the total), sell 15% of their assets over four years, and the issuing of stocks that will dramatically dilute current shareholders.

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For individual investors holding these stocks (or those of companies issuing special dividends), reported gross income for 2012 will rise.

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