Battered E*Trade banking on government funds

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The troubles at E*Trade Financial Corp (ETFC.O: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) have worsened and now hinge on whether it can secure U.S. government funds that would bring some relief to its book of bad mortgage loans.

Shares of the discount brokerage tumbled below $1 to its lowest price ever this week, indicating that investors think chances are slim it will secure the $800 million it applied for under the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) rescue program.

Competitors, including Charles Schwab Corp (SCHW.O: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) and TD Ameritrade Holding Corp (AMTD.O: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz), have said they are loath to bid for the smaller and now very cheap company, but have made no secret they covet E*Trade's brokerage business, which has kept it afloat despite the drag of its mortgage business.

Roger Freeman, a Barclays Capital analyst attending a business update hosted by Schwab this week, said E*Trade's existence "depends on whether it gets the TARP."

E*Trade's survival probably hinges more on whether its customers continue to drive growth, according to analysts. But after a string of quarterly losses, the TARP funding is vital for the near term. But there are serious doubts the company will qualify alongside larger banks whose collapse could further shake a weakened U.S. economy.