Shares of the online brokerage company E*Trade tumbled to below $1.00 per share on fears that only a bailout from the government will save the company from failure — a bailout that is looking less and less likely. According to one analyst who spoke with Reuters: “The way the stock is trading now, it appears as though a lot of investors don’t expect them to get the TARP funding.”

The government’s TARP program is meant to aid financial institutions so they will dish out loans again, but the speculation that is since E*Trade’s finances are so fucked, even with government cash the company wouldn’t be able to resume lending.

[FinViz] E*Trade’s Stock Information
[Reuters] Battered E*Trade banking on government funds