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Lehman reports third quarter loss | Lehman reports third quarter loss |
(40 minutes later) | |
Troubled US bank Lehman Brothers has reported a third quarter net loss of $3.9bn (£2.2bn). | Troubled US bank Lehman Brothers has reported a third quarter net loss of $3.9bn (£2.2bn). |
Struggling to shore up its weak financial position, it slashed its dividend and announced radical restructuring plans. | Struggling to shore up its weak financial position, it slashed its dividend and announced radical restructuring plans. |
These included cutting its exposure to distressed commercial property assets and selling a majority stake in its lucrative fund management arm. | These included cutting its exposure to distressed commercial property assets and selling a majority stake in its lucrative fund management arm. |
The news sent world shares tumbling and lowered the value of the dollar. | The news sent world shares tumbling and lowered the value of the dollar. |
On Tuesday, Lehman's shares plunged 45% on fears about the state of its financial health amid concerns that it was struggling to raise much-needed capital. | |
As a result, the bank was forced to rush out its third quarter results a week early in a bid to boost investor confidence. | |
But it gave no indication that it had found a backer to offer it a fresh capital injection, sending its shares sharply lower in pre-market trading. | |
"This is an extraordinary time for our industry, and one of the toughest periods in the firm's history," said chairman and chief executive Richard Fuld. | |
Korean disagreement | |
Earlier, Korea Development Bank (KDB) said it had pulled out of talks with Lehman Brothers with regard to possible investment in the US bank. | Earlier, Korea Development Bank (KDB) said it had pulled out of talks with Lehman Brothers with regard to possible investment in the US bank. |
The markets may have responded better if they (Lehman) had struck a deal at any cost Steve Goldstein, Marketwatch Has Lehman done enough?Bank 'too big to fail' | |
"We are announcing that we ended talks at this point in time because of a disagreement over conditions of a transaction and considering domestic and foreign financial market conditions," KDB said in a statement. | "We are announcing that we ended talks at this point in time because of a disagreement over conditions of a transaction and considering domestic and foreign financial market conditions," KDB said in a statement. |
State-run KDB said the decision came because of disagreement over terms and current financial market conditions. | State-run KDB said the decision came because of disagreement over terms and current financial market conditions. |
Lehman, the fourth-largest US investment bank, had hoped to secure a deal with the Korean fund before announcing its third-quarter earnings. | Lehman, the fourth-largest US investment bank, had hoped to secure a deal with the Korean fund before announcing its third-quarter earnings. |
"The markets may have responded better if they had struck a deal at any cost, " Steve Goldstein at Marketwatch told the BBC. | |
"They needed that lifeline," he added. | |
No Bear Stearns | |
The Wall Street bank has lost billions of dollars through its badly judged bets on the growth of US sub-prime mortgages - a market that crumbled at the back end of last summer. | |
But BBC Business Editor Robert Peston insists that Lehman is not in immediate danger of collapse in the style of Bear Stearns earlier this year. | |
For one thing, it says it has immediate access to $42bn in cash reserves, which he said "looks ample to meet any unexpected calls on its cash". | |
However, he did add: "But that doesn't mean its in good shape. It still has $54bn of exposure to illiquid and hard-to-monetize commercial real estate, residential mortgages and high-yield acquisition finance." |