Merrill Lynch & Co. reported its first quarterly loss in six years after a larger-than-forecast $7.9 billion of writedowns for subprime mortgages and asset- backed bonds, the highest reported by any Wall Street firm.
The third-quarter loss of $2.24 billion, or $2.82 a share, compared with net income of $3.05 billion, or $3.17, a year earlier, the New York-based firm said in a statement distributed by Business Wire. The loss exceeded the 45-cent average estimate of 17 analysts surveyed by Bloomberg. Merrill said Oct. 5 that it would report a loss of as much as 50 cents a share.
Outsch !:eek:
The third-quarter loss of $2.24 billion, or $2.82 a share, compared with net income of $3.05 billion, or $3.17, a year earlier, the New York-based firm said in a statement distributed by Business Wire. The loss exceeded the 45-cent average estimate of 17 analysts surveyed by Bloomberg. Merrill said Oct. 5 that it would report a loss of as much as 50 cents a share.
Outsch !:eek: