Monday, June 11, 2007

Wall Street Gets Boost From SEC Regulation, May Earn Another $4.4 Billion

(Bloomberg) -- Never mind that Wall Street's profit
growth in the second quarter probably was the worst in two
years. A new regulation relieving capital restraints may enable
the biggest U.S. securities firms to make the rest of 2007
exceptional for shareholders.

Goldman Sachs Group Inc., Morgan Stanley, Merrill Lynch &
Co., Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. and Bear Stearns Cos. have
the potential to earn $4.4 billion more annually as early as
next year by moving money out of safe investments into higher-
returning bets, said Dorothy Leas, a former treasurer at Paine
Webber Group Inc. and Cowen Group Inc. The earnings gain, which
would equal 14 percent of the New York-based firms' record
profits of 2006, follows a rule change that allows them to hold
less money in reserve for potential losses.


Read more at Bloomberg Currencies News

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