write-down

When it notified Bank of America of such gaping write-downs, the bank became fearful it would not have the capital to cover them.

That would be enough to restore it to profitability if there were no further write-downs on its holdings of Greek government bonds.

Global banks have lost more than $300 billion from write-downs since the housing slump evolved into a full-blown credit crunch.

Within a year of the closing, there is a series of write-downs that brings the return of the fourth fund down to the single-digit level.

The bank recorded GBP 1. 4 billion in impairment charges and credit write-downs, up 63% from GBP 860 million a year earlier.

A week earlier, Stan O'Neal lost his job at Merrill Lynch after leading the investment bank to a loss with $8. 4 billion of write-downs.

People close to Bank of America say the losses ticked higher due to trading losses, as well as further asset write-downs.

In Britain, where there have been virtually no mortgage write-downs, relatively high inflation has pushed down the overall debt burden.

The ugly flip side of leverage is now obvious, and massive write-downs have shattered confidence in Wall Street's risk-management machinery.

As large holders of the toxic debt, the banks are opposed to further write downs as it could jeopardize their solvency.

All the big financial-services companies have been hit with write-downs tied to mortgage-related securities.

Bank write-downs of mortgages and consumer debt accounted for most of that $812 billion reduction.

Investors expect further write-downs and American authorities are investigating allegations that UBS helped wealthy clients to evade taxes.

Write-downs on toxic securities receded, and investment-banking profits jumped, helping offset losses on credit cards and mortgages.

some have called the bottom of the spiral of bad debts and write-downs that devastated them.

But subdued capital-markets activity and write-downs on Greek debt (with the prospect of more to come) are hurting earnings.

So, too, must there be write-downs of loans to bankrupt banks and subsequent recapitalization of damaged financial institutions.

But too low a price would force banks to take further write-downs associated with those assets, exacerbating their financial woes.

These lenders have resisted modification of first mortgages, fearing knock-on write-downs of their second liens.

Fears of further write-downs at the large banks also loomed as earnings season got under way, supporting Treasuries.

Mr Tilford says European politicians and policymakers fear the consequences of compulsory write-downs.

Some banks, notably in Spain, have swapped debt for equity, putting off write-downs but potentially storing up trouble ahead.

Further significant financial write-downs are also widely expected and are being reflected in stock prices.

Second, the write-downs have reminded investors just how little is known about where the bodies from this summer's credit turmoil might lie.

But worries about fresh write-downs at European banks and concerns about prospects for US bond insurers, kept investors on edge.

This will take time, more aggressive write downs of bad assets, and unfortunately probably more public capital.

Overall, commercial-real-estate write-downs in the first quarter are expected to rival those for CDOs and leveraged loans.

Under the equity method, in the invested entity issuing cash dividends declared press should share part write-downs investment book value.

Of course, in itself even such write downs may not fully suffice to restore normalcy in job creation.

They owned relatively fewer toxic assets, and were hence forced to take fewer write-downs.

Critics of the write-downs may still be on to something, however.

He admitted being taken aback by the scale of recent write-downs in the banking sector.

The exposure of America's big banks to Latin America was enormous; formal write-downs of debt would have left many of them insolvent.

Many of the write-downs related to "super senior" AAA-rated securities, indicating even the best structured products are not very good.

One market participant says they are responsible for large reported profits that could yet turn into write-downs.

Also, write-downs of bad debt show up on bank balance sheets as reductions in credit outstanding.

The New York company posted a large net loss in 2008's fourth quarter due to credit-crunch-related asset write-downs.

But even amid write-downs, the third-largest U. S. bank generated stronger than expected results, helped by underwriting and bond trading.

The league table of industry write-downs and credit losses is another indicator.

Governments and regulators want the banks to make profits so that they regain their health faster after roughly $3 trillion of write-downs.

The market's implosion caused billions of dollars in write-downs at Merrill.

Analysts say the firm could face write-downs of as much as $4 billion and an estimated loss for the quarter of $3. 30 a share.

As problems in credit markets unfold, this could amplify bank losses, and may lead to further bank write downs.

and private creditors have been put on alert for forced write-downs.

These staffing and compensation actions and write-downs are expected to result in pre-tax savings of $200 million to $250 million in 2009.

That is a pittance considering the $400 billion or so of losses and write-downs at the world's banks from the credit crisis as a whole.

"And if there's some write-downs to be done, they need to do it now. "

Merrill recorded $9. 4 billion of write-downs from exposure to CDOs, residential mortgages, bond insurers and other investments.

BHP will write off about $450 million in bid costs, and is also taking $2. 1 billion in pretax write-downs on nickel assets.

Governments and regula tors want the banks to make profits so that they regain their health faster after roughly $3 trillion of write-downs.

Should the government encourage mortgage principal write-downs?

By comparison, he foresees first-quarter write-downs of $10 billion in CDOs and $5. 8 billion in leveraged-loan commitments.

Since late 2007, Citigroup has had more than $50 billion in write-downs and loan defaults.

These are marked to market and have been the main source of the savage write-downs that banks have suffered.

Bank write-downs already totalled more than $500 billion in August 2008.

Dubai World has 70 creditors who could face write-downs on their debt.

Net income dropped by 57% and 53%, respectively, thanks to write-downs of around $2 billion each, but there were no nasty surprises.

Net write-downs for the year doubled, to $33. 7 billion.

The first is that in some extreme cases, when a large debt reduction is needed, orderly write-downs are necessary.

That is in addition to expected write-downs of $300 million for excess television and flat-panel display inventories.

Wall Street marked the Citigroup write-downs by driving the Dow Jones Industrial Average to a record high (see chart).

Total write-downs for 2008 for Commerzbank came to around 1 billion euros.

For investors who think that financial firms just need to get past mortgage-related write-downs for profits to rebound, this is bad news.

Each had credit-related write-downs of between $5 billion and $6 billion last year.

Incentive Analysis on Earnings Management by Assets Write-downs in Chinese Listed Corporations

When it would trigger hefty write-downs of peculiar but critical assets

Bank shares were particularly hard hit amid concerns that falling asset prices would lead to more write-downs;