The cost to protect against a default by Hartford Financial Services Group Inc., Prudential Financial Inc. and MetLife Inc. rose to record levels on speculation that the turmoil in financial markets may be spreading to insurers.

Credit-default swaps on Hartford jumped 165 basis points to a mid-price of 675 basis points, according to broker Phoenix Partners Group. Contracts on Prudential rose 125 basis points to 617 basis points, while MetLife climbed 97 basis points to 583 basis points, CMA Datavision prices show.

An increase in the contracts, used to hedge against losses or to speculate on creditworthiness, represents a decline in investor confidence. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, in pressing for passage of a $700 billion financial system rescue plan, said yesterday that a "major" insurance company was about to go bankrupt if financial markets weren't calmed.

"We don't have a lot of leeway on time," Reid told reporters after a luncheon in Washington. "One of the individuals in the caucus today talked about a major insurance company -- a major insurance company -- one with a name that everyone knows that's on the verge of going bankrupt. That's what this is all about."

A spokesman for the senator later said Reid wasn't referring to anything specific, ABC News reported on its Web site.

A Hartford spokeswoman, Shannon Lapierre, reiterated comments the company made yesterday in a statement. The company said it's "confident" in its financial strength and its ability to meet commitments to customers and is "living through a period of unprecedented market conditions."

The market is going to go where the market is going to go, but if Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid was looking to induce short term volatility for the sake of political gain, he just may have done so.

By Mike "Mish" Shedlock
http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com

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Mike Shedlock / Mish is a registered investment advisor representative for SitkaPacific Capital Management . Sitka Pacific is an asset management firm whose goal is strong performance and low volatility, regardless of market direction.

Visit Sitka Pacific's Account Management Page to learn more about wealth management and capital preservation strategies of Sitka Pacific.

I do weekly podcasts every Thursday on HoweStreet and a brief 7 minute segment on Saturday on CKNW AM 980 in Vancouver.

When not writing about stocks or the economy I spends a great deal of time on photography and in the garden. I have over 80 magazine and book cover credits. Some of my Wisconsin and gardening images can be seen at MichaelShedlock.com .

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