In the next three years, more than 300 employees will receive stock options representing up to 15 percent of the company's common equity.

And banks face certain regulatory limits on the extent to which they can own a company's common equity.

Drexel will also help Mellon raise another $250 million in common equity.

Northern Rock's leverage ratio, before it exploded, was more than £50 for every pound of common equity.

Return on common equity slid to 12.8 percent, from 15.2 percent.

The investment firm will keep 7 percent of First City's common equity.

The balance of the common equity, excluding working capital, would be used to pay debtholders.

"He will get a very small proportion of the common equity."

Vintners has total debt of about $216 million, or 16 times the privately held common equity.

He noted, however, that Allied's loss reserves and common equity were adequate.