Wall St speculators smell money as malls get mauled

New York

WALL STREET speculators are zeroing in on the next US credit crisis: the mall.

It's no secret many mall complexes have been struggling for years as Americans do more of their shopping online. But now, they're catching the eye of hedge-fund types who think some may soon buckle under their debts, much the way many homeowners did nearly a decade ago.