Shanghai Daily: Business - shanghaidaily.com
Merrill Lynch & Co, the world's biggest brokerage, agreed to sell most of its commercial finance business to General Electric Co's finance arm for an undisclosed price to free up capital after subprime losses. The sale of Merrill Lynch Capital's corporate, equipment, energy and healthcare finance units is expected to be completed in the first-quarter, the companies said yesterday in a Business Wire statement. The deal will add more than US$10 billion in assets to GE Capital. The transaction is part of New York-based Merrill Lynch's "strategic focus on divesting non-core assets," and will release about US$1.3 billion of capital to be redeployed elsewhere, said Chief Executive Officer John Thain in the statement. Merrill, on October 24, announced US$8.4 billion of writedowns on mortgage-related investments and corporate loans. The firm, which ousted Stan O'Neal as CEO in October, may report an additional US$8.6-billion writedown for the fourth quarter, according to David
MarketWatch.com - MarketPulse
SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- Fitch Ratings said Monday it is maintaining its negative outlook on Merrill Lynch & Co. despite efforts by the investment bank to boost its capital as it is expected to record additional losses going forward. "Fitch believes that there is a high probability that additional losses will be recognized in fourth-quarter 2007 which collectively may result in Merrill Lynch posting a loss for its 2007 fiscal year," said Fitch in a statement. However, the rating agency noted that Merrill Lynch's move to secure up to $6.2 billion from Temasek Holdings Pte. Ltd. and Davis Selected Advisors and its sale of Merrill Lynch Capital to GE Capital are positive developments for potentially stemming further downgrades. Fitch cut Merrill Lynch's long term issuer default rating to A+ on Oct. 24.