It settled with the WorldCom investors last May, paying $2.65 billion.

Like the WorldCom investors in after-hours trading, Qwest shareholders were not comforted by that caution.

Prosecutors in New York have asked for 85 years for Mr. Ebbers, who has agreed to turn over what is left of his personal fortune to WorldCom investors.

Jury selection in the WorldCom investors' case, the largest securities class action in history, is scheduled to begin next Thursday in Federal District Court in Manhattan.

Mr. Hevesi's lawyers calculated that if the other banks accepted these terms, the WorldCom investors in the class would receive another $2.8 billion.

The board of J.P. Morgan Chase met on Tuesday to discuss a possible settlement with WorldCom investors, according to a person briefed on the meeting.

In May, Citigroup agreed to pay WorldCom investors $2.65 billion to settle charges.

The social good, in contrast to throwing WorldCom investors a bone, would be vast.

If they do, total compensation to Enron investors could surpass the $6.13 billion that Wall Street firms agreed to pay to WorldCom investors.

"No one's talking about it," said Charles Gibson, a lawyer who represented several hundred local WorldCom investors in lawsuits that were swept aside by the company's bankruptcy filing.