Merrill Lynch

For post-2008 purchase information please see Bank of America.

Merrill Lynch, purchased by Bank of America in 2008, was a large financial services company that had revenues of $70 billion and profits of $7 billion in 2006. It provided financial services for private, institutional, and government clients. It worked with mutual funds, insurance, annuities, trusts, clearing services as well as investment banking and brokerage.

The company operated in the United States, Canada, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Pacific Rim, and Latin America. Headquartered in New York City, USA, it was founded in 1820.

Coal investments
Merrill Lynch is a major financier of new coal plant construction. New coal-fired power plants being funded by the company include:


 * Plum Point Energy Station (AR)
 * Longleaf (GA)
 * Sutherland Generating Station Unit 4 (IA)
 * LS Power Elk Run Energy Station (IA)
 * Smith Station (KY)
 * Big Cajun II Unit 4 (LA)
 * Midland Power Plant (MI)
 * Ely Energy Center, Phase I (NV)
 * Ely Energy Center, Phase II (NV)
 * White Pine Energy Station (NV)
 * Huntley Generating Station (NY)
 * Sallisaw Project (OK)
 * Cross Generating Station Unit 3 (SC)
 * Cross Generating Station Unit 4 (SC)
 * Pee Dee Generating Facility (SC)
 * Marion City Project (SC)
 * Big Brown 3 (TX)
 * Lake Creek 3 (TX)
 * Limestone 3 (TX)
 * Martin Lake 4 (TX)
 * Monticello 4 (TX)
 * Morgan Creek 3 & 4 (TX)
 * Morgan Creek 7 (TX)
 * Oak Grove Plant (TX)
 * Sandy Creek Plant (TX)
 * Tradinghouse 3 & 4 (TX)
 * Valley 4 (TX)
 * Wise County Plant (VA)
 * Nelson Dewey Generating Facility (WI)

Apr. 13, 2007: Blockade of Asheville Merrill Lynch
On April 13, 2007, two people calling themselves members of the "Climate Justice League" entered a Merrill Lynch building in Asheville, North Carolina, dumped a sack of coal in the lobby, and used a bicycle lock to blockade the door. The activists demanded that Merrill Lynch stop funding mountaintop removal coal mining companies such as Massey Energy. No arrests were reported.

Role in the crisis
In 1975, the SEC’s trading and markets division ruled that investment banks must maintain a debt-to-net capital ratio of less than 12 to 1. In 2004, following extensive lobbying by the investment banks, the SEC under chairman Christopher Cox authorized five investment banks to develop their own net capital requirements. This enabled investment banks to push borrowing ratios to as high as 40 to 1. These five investment banks were Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Lehman Brothers, Bear Stearns, and Merrill Lynch. This very high debt-to-reserves helped lead to the financial crisis of 2008 by weakening the ability of these institutions to recover from losses incurred when the risky CDO and CDS bets failed.

Lee A. Pickard, who had been Director of the SEC’s Division of Market Regulation when the 1975 12-1 rule was ordered, said of the change, "The SEC modification in 2004 is the primary reason for all of the losses that have occurred."

Campaign contributions
E. Stanley O'Neal, then CEO of Merrill Lynch, was a Bush Ranger having raised at least $200,000 for Bush in the 2004 presidential election.

Merrill Lynch gave $184,150 to federal candidates in the 2006 election through its political action committee - 47% to Democrats and 53% to Republicans.

Decade-long campaign contribution total (1998-2008): $9,977,724

The 2008 top recipients of campaign contributions were: 1. John McCain (R) $360,620 2. Barack Obama (D) $264,720 3. Rudy Giuliani (R) $210,275 4. Hillary Clinton (D) $202,568 5. Mitt Romney (R) $172,025

Lobbying
The company spent $3,952,760 for lobbying in 2006. $2,445,000 went to eight lobbying firms with the remainder being spent using in-house lobbyists.

Decade-long lobbying expenditure total (1998-2008): $59,076,760

2008 Top Lobbying Expenditure Recipients: 1. Merrill Lynch $4,700,000 2. Ernst & Young $604,000 3. Johnson, Madigan et al $240,000

Contact details
4 World Financial Center 250 Vesey St. New York, NY 10080 Phone: 212-449-1000 Fax: 212-449-9418 Web: http://www.merrilllynch.com

Related SourceWatch articles

 * David H. Komansky- former ceo
 * Matthew Greenburgh - former vice chair
 * Peter S. Kraus

External resources

 * Sold Out - How Wall Street and Washington Betrayed America, Consumer Education Foundation, March, 2009.


 * "Merrill Lynch Top Contributor to Bush After Third Quarter", Open Secrets, Oct. 17, 2003.