Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc. and Subsidiaries
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Earnings (Unaudited)

Exhibit 99.5

                         
(in millions, except per share amounts)  
    For the Three Months Ended        
    Mar. 26,     Mar. 28,     Percent  
    2004(1)     2003(1)     Inc. (Dec.)  
 
Net Revenues
                       
Asset management and portfolio service fees
  $ 1,313     $ 1,124       16.8 %
Commissions
    1,361       1,069       27.3  
Principal transactions
    1,046       1,025       2.0  
Investment banking
    837       493       69.8  
Other
    367       213       72.3  
 
                   
Subtotal
    4,924       3,924       25.5  
 
                   
Interest and dividend revenues
    3,061       3,005       1.9  
Less interest expense
    1,897       2,128       (10.9 )
 
                   
Net interest profit
    1,164       877       32.7  
 
                   
Total Net Revenues
    6,088       4,801       26.8  
 
                   
Non-Interest Expenses
                       
Compensation and benefits
    3,047       2,561       19.0  
Communications and technology
    341       403       (15.4 )
Occupancy and related depreciation
    217       216       0.5  
Brokerage, clearing, and exchange fees
    204       170       20.0  
Advertising and market development
    122       121       0.8  
Professional fees
    177       144       22.9  
Office supplies and postage
    51       58       (12.1 )
Other
    239       222       7.7  
 
                   
Total Non-Interest Expenses
    4,398       3,895       12.9  
 
                   
Earnings Before Income Taxes
    1,690       906       86.5  
Income tax expense
    439       264       66.3  
 
                   
Net Earnings
  $ 1,251     $ 642       94.9  
 
                   
Net Earnings Applicable to Common Stockholders
  $ 1,241     $ 632       96.4  
 
                   
Earnings Per Common Share
                       
Basic
  $ 1.33     $ 0.71          
 
                   
Diluted
  $ 1.22     $ 0.67          
 
                   
Dividend Paid Per Common Share
  $ 0.16     $ 0.16          
 
                   
Average Shares Used in Computing
Earnings Per Common Share
                       
Basic
    930.2       887.6          
 
                   
Diluted
    1,019.7       941.9          
 
                   
 
(1)  
Amounts have been restated, as discussed in Note 2.

See Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.

1


 

Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc. and Subsidiaries
Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (Unaudited)

                 
(dollars in millions)  
    Mar. 26,     Dec. 26,  
    2004(1)     2003(1)  
 
ASSETS
               
Cash and cash equivalents
  $ 12,530     $ 10,150  
Cash and securities segregated for regulatory purposes or deposited with clearing organizations
    14,514       15,171  
Securities financing transactions
               
Receivables under resale agreements
    76,743       71,756  
Receivables under securities borrowed transactions
    51,076       45,472  
 
           
 
    127,819       117,228  
 
           
Trading assets, at fair value (includes securities pledged as collateral of $21,070 in 2004 and $23,146 in 2003)
Contractual agreements
    37,548       37,196  
Corporate debt and preferred stock
    25,159       22,459  
Equities and convertible debentures
    24,870       23,170  
Non-U.S. governments and agencies
    20,490       15,991  
Mortgages, mortgage-backed, and asset-backed
    19,857       20,508  
U.S. Government and agencies
    10,163       10,408  
Municipals and money markets
    3,653       4,577  
 
           
 
    141,740       134,309  
 
           
Investment securities (includes securities pledged as collateral of $7,977 in 2004 and $6,608 in 2003)
    79,866       74,809  
Securities received as collateral
    8,307       9,156  
Other receivables
               
Customers (net of allowance for doubtful accounts of $54 in 2004 and $60 in 2003)
    39,065       36,955  
Brokers and dealers
    9,894       7,346  
Interest and other
    11,542       11,187  
 
           
 
    60,501       55,488  
 
           
Loans, notes, and mortgages (net of allowances of $308 in 2004 and $318 in 2003)
    49,949       50,993  
Separate accounts assets
    17,200       17,034  
Equipment and facilities (net of accumulated depreciation and amortization of $5,022 in 2004 and $5,054 in 2003)
    2,598       2,612  
Goodwill
    4,922       4,814  
Other assets
    5,095       4,595  
 
           
Total Assets
  $ 525,041     $ 496,359  
 
           
 

2


 

Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc. and Subsidiaries
Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (Unaudited)

                 
(dollars in millions, except per share amount)  
    Mar. 26,     Dec. 26,  
    2004(1)     2003(1)  
 
LIABILITIES
               
Securities financing transactions
               
Payables under repurchase agreements
  $ 99,531     $ 96,138  
Payables under securities loaned transactions
    20,400       11,081  
 
           
 
    119,931       107,219  
 
           
Commercial paper and other short-term borrowings
    4,636       5,000  
Deposits
    78,126       79,457  
Trading liabilities, at fair value
               
Contractual agreements
    45,628       43,353  
U.S. Government and agencies
    16,739       15,323  
Non-U.S. governments and agencies
    14,452       12,066  
Equities and convertible debentures
    12,126       10,793  
Corporate debt, municipals and preferred stock
    9,649       7,798  
 
           
 
    98,594       89,333  
 
           
Obligation to return securities received as collateral
    8,307       9,156  
Other payables
               
Customers
    30,773       28,859  
Brokers and dealers
    12,073       19,109  
Interest and other
    21,820       22,453  
 
           
 
    64,666       70,421  
 
           
Liabilities of insurance subsidiaries
    3,351       3,353  
Separate accounts liabilities
    17,200       17,034  
Long-term borrowings
    96,908       83,299  
Long-term debt issued to TOPrSSM partnerships
    3,202       3,203  
 
           
Total Liabilities
    494,921       467,475  
 
           
STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
               
Preferred Stockholders’ Equity (42,500 shares issued and outstanding, liquidation preference $10,000 per share)
    425       425  
 
           
Common Stockholders’ Equity
               
Shares exchangeable into common stock
    42       43  
Common stock (par value $1.33 1/3 per share; authorized: 3,000,000,000 shares; issued: 2004 - 1,088,230,010 shares; 2003 - 1,063,205,274 shares)
    1,451       1,417  
Paid-in capital
    11,860       10,676  
Accumulated other comprehensive loss (net of tax)
    (488 )     (551 )
Retained earnings
    19,780       18,692  
 
           
 
    32,645       30,277  
Less: Treasury stock, at cost (2004 - 124,426,365 shares; 2003 - 117,294,392 shares)
    1,707       1,195  
Unamortized employee stock grants
    1,243       623  
 
           
Total Common Stockholders’ Equity
    29,695       28,459  
 
           
Total Stockholders’ Equity
    30,120       28,884  
 
           
Total Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity
  $ 525,041     $ 496,359  
 
           
 
(1)  
Amounts have been restated, as discussed in Note 2.

See Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements

3


 

Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc. and Subsidiaries
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (Unaudited)

                 
(dollars in millions)  
    For the Three Months Ended  
    Mar. 26,     Mar. 28,  
    2004(1)     2003(1)  
 
Cash flows from operating activities:
               
Net earnings
  $ 1,251     $ 642  
Noncash items included in earnings:
               
Depreciation and amortization
    125       148  
Policyholder reserves
    36       40  
Stock compensation plan expense
    136       233  
Deferred taxes
    71       418  
Undistributed (earnings) loss from equity investments
    (99 )     2  
Other
    (175 )     51  
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
               
Trading assets
    (7,485 )     (2,923 )
Cash and securities segregated for regulatory purposes or deposited with clearing organizations
    243       (210 )
Receivables under resale agreements
    (4,976 )     (3,141 )
Receivables under securities borrowed transactions
    (5,604 )     (2,524 )
Customer receivables
    (2,104 )     (699 )
Brokers and dealers receivables
    (2,548 )    
Trading liabilities
    7,133       6,513  
Payables under repurchase agreements
    3,393       (100 )
Payables under securities loaned transactions
    9,319       1,002  
Customer payables
    1,914       (172 )
Brokers and dealers payables
    (7,036 )     5,217  
Other, net
    (2,344 )     (1,459 )
 
           
Cash provided by (used for) operating activities
    (8,750 )     3,038  
 
           
Cash flows from investing activities:
               
Proceeds from (payments for):
               
Maturities of available-for-sale securities
    6,228       6,200  
Sales of available-for-sale securities
    5,143       15,277  
Purchases of available-for-sale securities
    (14,375 )     (15,805 )
Maturities of held-to-maturity securities
    44       39  
Purchases of held-to-maturity securities
    (82 )     (203 )
Loans, notes, and mortgages
    1,054       245  
Other investments and other assets
    (381 )     (1,387 )
Equipment and facilities
    (111 )     (173 )
 
           
Cash provided by (used for) investing activities
    (2,480 )     4,193  
 
           
Cash flows from financing activities:
               
Proceeds from (payments for):
               
Commercial paper and other short-term borrowings
    (364 )     (1,844 )
Deposits
    (1,331 )     41  
Issuance and resale of long-term borrowings
    18,302       5,863  
Settlement and repurchases of long-term borrowings
    (4,809 )     (7,311 )
Derivative financing transactions
    2,128      
Issuance of common stock
    326       117  
Treasury stock repurchases
    (502 )    
Other common stock transactions
    23       (24 )
Dividends
    (163 )     (152 )
 
           
Cash provided by (used for) financing activities
    13,610       (3,310 )
 
           
Increase in cash and cash equivalents
    2,380       3,921  
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period
    10,150       10,211  
 
           
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period
  $ 12,530     $ 14,132  
 
           
Supplemental Disclosure of Cash Flow Information:
               
Cash paid for:
               
Income taxes
  $ 105     $ 30  
Interest
    1,765       2,031  
 
(1)  
Amounts have been restated as discussed in Note 2.

4


 

Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc. and Subsidiaries
Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements (Unaudited)
March 26, 2004

Note 1. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

         For a complete discussion of Merrill Lynch’s accounting policies, refer to the restated excerpt of the Annual Report to Shareholders filed as Exhibit 13 to Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc.’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 26, 2003, which is included as exhibit 99.1 to this Form 8-K.

Basis of Presentation

         The Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements include the accounts of Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc. (“ML & Co.”) and subsidiaries (collectively, “Merrill Lynch”), whose subsidiaries are generally controlled through a majority voting interest but may be controlled by means of a significant minority ownership, by contract, lease or otherwise. In certain cases, Merrill Lynch subsidiaries (i.e., Variable Interest Entities (“VIEs”)) may also be consolidated based on a risks and rewards approach as required by Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Revised Interpretation No. (“FIN”) 46R. All material intercompany balances have been eliminated. The interim condensed consolidated financial statements for the three-month periods are unaudited; however, in the opinion of Merrill Lynch management, all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring accruals) necessary for a fair statement of the condensed consolidated financial statements have been included.

         These unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements included in the 2003 Annual Report. The December 26, 2003 restated unaudited Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet was derived from the audited 2003 consolidated financial statements. The nature of Merrill Lynch’s business is such that the results of any interim period are not necessarily indicative of results for a full year. In presenting the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements, management makes estimates that affect the reported amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Estimates, by their nature, are based on judgment and available information. Therefore, actual results could differ from those estimates and could have a material impact on the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements, and it is possible that such changes could occur in the near term. Certain reclassifications have been made to prior period financial statements, where appropriate, to conform to the current period presentation.

New Accounting Pronouncements

         On January 12, 2004, the FASB issued a final FASB Staff Position (“FSP”) 106-1, Accounting and Disclosure Requirements Related to the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement and Modernization Act of 2003 which addresses the Medicare Prescription Drug Improvement and Modernization Act of 2003 (“the Act”) that was signed into law on December 8, 2003. FSP 106-1 permits a sponsor of a postretirement health care plan that provides a prescription drug benefit to make a one-time election to defer accounting for the effects of the Act. At December 26, 2003, Merrill Lynch elected to defer accounting for the effects of the Act, and as a result any measures of the accumulated postretirement benefit obligation or net periodic postretirement benefit cost in the financial statements or accompanying notes do not reflect the effects of the Act on the plan. Furthermore, at March 26, 2004, specific authoritative guidance on the accounting for the federal

5


 

subsidy is pending, and that guidance, when issued, could require Merrill Lynch to change previously reported information. Merrill Lynch will assess the impact on the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements when the final guidance is issued.

         On December 23, 2003, the FASB issued Statement of Financial Accounting Standards (“SFAS”) No. 132 (revised 2003), Employers’ Disclosures about Pensions and Other Postretirement Benefits. The revised SFAS No. 132 retains the disclosure requirements in the original statement and requires additional disclosures about pension plan assets, benefit obligations, cash flows, benefit costs and other relevant information. Merrill Lynch adopted the provisions of SFAS No. 132 as of December 26, 2003. See Note 12 to the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements for these disclosures.

         In December of 2003, the American Institute or Certified Public Accountants (“AICPA”) issued Statement of Position (“SOP”) 03-3, Accounting for Certain Loans or Debt Securities Acquired in a Transfer. SOP 03-3 addresses revenue recognition and impairment assessments for certain loans and debt securities that were purchased at a discount that was at least in part due to credit quality. SOP 03-3 states that where expected cash flows from the loan or debt security can be reasonably estimated, the difference between the purchase price and the expected cash flows (i.e., the “accretable yield”) should be accreted into income. In instances where the cash flows or the timing of the cash flows cannot be reasonably estimated, income on the loan or debt security may not be accreted. In addition, the SOP prohibits the recognition of a reserve for impairment on the purchase date. Further, the SOP requires that the allowance for loan losses be supported through a cash flow analysis, on either an individual or on a pooled basis, for all loans that fall within the scope of the guidance. Merrill Lynch will adopt SOP 03-3 as of the beginning of fiscal year 2005 and is currently assessing the potential impact on the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.

         On July 7, 2003, the AICPA issued SOP 03-1, Accounting and Reporting by Insurance Enterprises for Certain Nontraditional Long-Duration Contracts and for Separate Accounts. The SOP was effective for financial statements for Merrill Lynch beginning in 2004. The SOP required the establishment of a liability for contracts that contain death or other insurance benefits using a specified reserve methodology that is different from the methodology that Merrill Lynch used to employ. The adoption of SOP 03-1 resulted in an additional $45 million of pre-tax expense in the first quarter of 2004.

         On January 17, 2003, the FASB issued FASB Interpretation No. 46 (“FIN 46”), which clarifies when an entity should consolidate another entity known as a VIE, and on December 24, 2003 the FASB issued a revised standard (“FIN 46R”). A VIE is an entity in which equity investors do not have the characteristics of a controlling financial interest or do not have sufficient equity at risk for the entity to finance its activities without additional subordinated financial support from other parties, and may include many types of SPEs. FIN 46R requires that an entity consolidate a VIE if that enterprise has a variable interest that will absorb a majority of the VIE’s expected losses, receive a majority of the VIE’s expected residual returns, or both. FIN 46R does not apply to qualifying special purpose entities (“QSPEs”), the accounting for which is governed by SFAS No. 140. As permitted by the transition guidance in FIN 46R, Merrill Lynch adopted the revised standard on an entity-by-entity basis. At December 26, 2003, Merrill Lynch applied FIN 46R to all VIEs with which it is involved, with the exception of those VIEs that issue Merrill Lynch Trust Originated Preferred Securities (“TOPrSSM”). The adoption of FIN 46R at December 26, 2003 was reported as a cumulative effect of a change in accounting principle and did not have a material effect on the Consolidated Financial Statements. As of March 26, 2004, Merrill Lynch applied FIN 46R to those VIEs that issue TOPrSSM . As a result, these VIEs were deconsolidated.

6


 

         The deconsolidation of TOPrSSM did not have a material impact on the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements of Merrill Lynch and was reported by retroactively restating prior period financial statements. See Note 6 to the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements for additional FIN 46R disclosure.

Note 2. Accounting Changes

Retail Account Fees
In the fourth quarter of 2004, subsequent to the filing of the Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 26, 2004, Merrill Lynch corrected its method of accounting to recognize certain retail account fees over the contract period instead of when the fees were received, and prior period results have been restated to correct the previous error. These account fees are included in Asset management and portfolio service fees on the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Earnings. This restatement resulted in a cumulative decrease to stockholders’ equity of $67 million, or 0.2% as of March 26, 2004. This restatement also resulted in decreases to retained earnings of $67 million and $66 million, as of March 26, 2004 and December 26, 2003, respectively, with corresponding increases in deferred revenues of $111 million and $109 million, respectively, and increases to deferred income taxes of $44 million and $43 million, respectively. Further details of this change are as follows:

                 
(dollars in millions, except per share amounts)  
    For the Three Months Ended  
    Mar. 26, 2004     Mar. 28, 2003  
 
Earnings before income taxes as reported
  $ 1,692     $ 909  
Adjustment to correct error
    (2 )     (3 )
 
           
Earnings before income taxes, as restated
  $ 1,690     $ 906
 
           
Net earnings as previously reported
  $ 1,252     $ 643  
Adjustment to correct error
    (1 )     (1 )
 
           
Net earnings, as restated
  $ 1,251     $ 642  
 
           
Earnings per common share:
               
Basic as reported
  $ 1.34     $ 0.71  
Adjustment to correct error
    (.01 )      
 
           
Basic, as restated
  $ 1.33     $ 0.71  
 
           
Diluted as reported
  $ 1.22     $ 0.67  
Adjustment to correct error
           
 
           
Diluted, as restated
  $ 1.22     $ 0.67  
 
           
 

Stock-based Compensation
On December 31, 2002 the FASB issued SFAS No. 148, Accounting for Stock-Based Compensation — Transition and Disclosure, an amendment of FASB Statement No. 123, Accounting for Stock-Based Compensation. Effective for the first quarter of 2004, Merrill Lynch adopted the fair value method of accounting for stock-based accounting under SFAS No. 123, using the retroactive restatement method described in SFAS No.148. Under the fair value recognition provisions of SFAS No. 123, stock-based compensation cost is measured at the grant date based on the value of the award and is recognized as expense over the vesting period. The December 26, 2003 Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet has been restated for the retroactive adoption of the fair value recognition provisions of SFAS No. 123. Accordingly, the December 26, 2003 Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet reflects a $4.0 billion increase in paid-in capital, a $2.7 billion decrease in retained earnings, and a $1.3 billion increase in deferred income tax assets. During the first quarter of 2004 and 2003, $59 million and $65 million, respectively, of stock option compensation expense was recorded in earnings. See Note 15 to the 2003 Annual Report for additional information related to stock-based compensation.

7


 

Note 3. Other Significant Events

Restructuring and Other Charges

         During the fourth quarter of 2001, Merrill Lynch’s management formally committed to a restructuring plan designed to position Merrill Lynch for improved profitability and growth, which included the resizing of selected businesses and other structural changes. As a result, Merrill Lynch incurred a 2001 fourth quarter pre-tax charge to earnings of $2.2 billion, which included restructuring costs of $1.8 billion and other charges of $396 million. Utilization of the restructuring reserve at March 26, 2004 is as follows:

                         
(dollars in millions)  
    Balance             Balance  
    Dec. 26,     Utilized in     March 26,  
    2003     2004     2004  
 
Category:
                       
Severance costs
  $ 5     $ (2 )   $ 3  
Facilities costs
    206       (15 )     191  
Other Costs
    20       (8 )(1)     12  
 
                 
 
  $ 231     $ (25 )   $ 206  
 
(1)  
Represents a change in estimate which was attributable to differences in actual costs from initial estimates in implementing the original restructuring plan.

Note 4. Segment Information

         In reporting to management, Merrill Lynch’s operating results are categorized into three business segments: the Global Markets and Investment Banking Group (“GMI”), Global Private Client (“GPC”) and Merrill Lynch Investment Managers (“MLIM”). Prior period amounts have been restated to conform to the current period presentation. For information on each segment’s business activities, see the 2003 Annual Report.

8


 

         Results by business segment are as follows:

                                         
(dollars in millions)  
                            Corporate        
    GMI     GPC     MLIM     Items     Total  
 
Three Months Ended
                                       
March 26, 2004
                                       
Non-interest revenues
  $ 2,361     $ 2,159     $ 407     $ (3 )(1)   $ 4,924  
Net interest profit(2)
    874       339       5       (54 )(3)     1,164  
 
                             
Net revenues
    3,235       2,498       412       (57 )     6,088  
Non-interest expenses
    2,120       1,990       301       (13 )(1)     4,398  
 
                             
Pre-tax earnings (loss)
  $ 1,115     $ 508     $ 111     $ (44 )   $ 1,690  
 
                             
Quarter-end total assets
  $ 449,467     $ 62,815     $ 7,263     $ 5,496     $ 525,041  
 
                             
 
                                         
                            Corporate        
    GMI     GPC     MLIM     Items     Total  
 
Three Months Ended
                                       
March 28, 2003
                                       
Non-interest revenues
  $ 1,822     $ 1,776     $ 330     $ (4 )(1)   $ 3,924  
Net interest profit(2)
    635       324       7       (89 )(3)     877  
 
                             
Net revenues
    2,457       2,100       337       (93 )     4,801  
Non-interest expenses
    1,708       1,854       298       35 (1)     3,895  
 
                             
Pre-tax earnings
  $ 749     $ 246     $ 39     $ (128 )   $ 906  
 
                             
Quarter-end total assets
  $ 388,705     $ 59,202     $ 4,577     $ 4,935     $ 457,419  
 
                             
 
(1)  
Primarily represents the elimination of intersegment revenues and expenses.
(2)  
Management views interest income net of interest expense in evaluating results.
(3)  
Represents acquisition financing costs and other corporate interest, including the impact of TOPrSSM. See Note 6 for additional information on the impact of TOPrSSM.

9


 

Note 5. Investment Securities

         Investment securities at March 26, 2004 and December 26, 2003 are presented below:

                 
(dollars in millions)  
    Mar. 26, 2004     Dec. 26, 2003  
 
Investment securities
               
Available-for-sale (1)
  $ 69,366     $ 66,121  
Trading
    5,676       4,798  
Held-to-maturity
    706       636  
Non-qualifying (2)
               
Deferred compensation hedges (3)
    700       636  
Other (4)
    9,582       9,197  
 
           
Total
  $ 86,030     $ 81,388  
 
(1)  
At March 26, 2004 and December 26, 2003, includes $6.2 billion and $6.6 billion, respectively, of investment securities reported in Cash and securities segregated for regulatory purposes or deposited with clearing organizations.
(2)  
Non-qualifying for SFAS No. 115 purposes.
(3)  
Represents investments economically hedging deferred compensation liabilities.
(4)  
Includes insurance policy loans, merchant banking investments, preferred stock, TOPrSSM investments, and other non-qualifying investments.

Note 6. Securitization Transactions and Transactions with Special Purpose Entities (SPEs)

         In the normal course of business, Merrill Lynch securitizes commercial and residential mortgage and home equity loans; municipal, government, and corporate bonds; and other types of financial assets. SPEs are often used when entering into or facilitating securitization transactions. Merrill Lynch’s involvement with SPEs used to securitize financial assets includes: establishing SPEs; selling assets to SPEs; structuring SPEs; underwriting, distributing; and making loans to SPEs; making markets in securities issued by SPEs; engaging in derivative transactions with SPEs; owning notes or certificates issued by SPEs; and/or providing liquidity facilities and other guarantees to SPEs.

         Merrill Lynch securitized assets of $10.1 billion and $20.5 billion for the three months ended March 26, 2004 and March 28, 2003, respectively. For the three months ended March 26, 2004, and March 28, 2003, Merrill Lynch received $10.2 billion and $20.9 billion, respectively, of proceeds, and other cash inflows, from new securitization transactions, and recognized net securitization gains, excluding gains on related derivative transactions, of $33.9 million and $14.6 million, respectively in Merrill Lynch’s Condensed Consolidated Statements of Earnings. Merrill Lynch generally records assets prior to securitization at fair value.

10


 

         For the first three months of 2004 and 2003, cash inflows from securitizations related to the following asset types:

                 
(dollars in millions)  
    Three Months Ended  
    Mar. 26, 2004     Mar. 28, 2003  
 
Asset category
               
Residential mortgage loans
    $7,629       $18,313  
Municipal bonds
    1,734       1,352  
Corporate and government bonds
    343       223  
Commercial loans and other
    470       1,010  
 
           
 
    $10,176       $20,898  
 

         Retained interests in securitized assets were approximately $2.4 billion and $2.7 billion at March 26, 2004 and December 26, 2003, respectively, which related primarily to residential mortgage loan and municipal bond securitization transactions. The majority of the retained interest balance consists of mortgage-backed securities that have observable market prices. These retained interests include mortgage-backed securities that Merrill Lynch has purchased and expects to sell to investors in the normal course of its underwriting activity. Approximately 65% and 64% at March 26, 2004 and December 26, 2003, respectively, of residential mortgage loan retained interests consists of interests in U.S. Government agency sponsored securitizations, which are guaranteed with respect to principal and interest. In addition, $692 million and $740 million at March 26, 2004 and December 26, 2003, respectively, of the retained interest balance relates to municipal bond transactions where observable market prices are available for the underlying assets, which provide the inputs and parameters used to calculate the fair value of the retained interest.

         The following table presents information on retained interests, excluding the offsetting benefit of financial instruments used to hedge risks, held by Merrill Lynch as of March 26, 2004 arising from Merrill Lynch’s residential mortgage loan, municipal bond and other securitization transactions. The sensitivities of the current fair value of the retained interests to immediate 10% and 20% adverse changes in those assumptions and parameters are also shown.

11


 

                         
(dollars in millions)  
    Residential              
    Mortgage     Municipal        
    Loans     Bonds     Other  
 
Retained interest amount
  $ 1,684     $ 692     $ 21  
Weighted average life (in years)
    2.2       3.3       N/A  
Range
    0.0 – 20.0       0.1 – 6.7       N/A  
Weighted average credit losses (rate per annum)
    2.4 %     0 %     2.2 %
Range
    0.0 – 3.5 %     0 %     0.0 – 8.0 %
Impact on fair value of 10% adverse change
  $ (4 )   $     $  
Impact on fair value of 20% adverse change
  $ (10 )   $     $ (1 )
Weighted average discount rate
    6.5 %     2.3 %     19.2 %
Range
    0.0 – 147.4 %     1.1 – 7.5 %     4.5 – 25.0 %
Impact on fair value of 10% adverse change
  $ (7 )   $ (51 )   $ (1 )
Impact on fair value of 20% adverse change
  $ (13 )   $ (96 )   $ (1 )
Weighted average prepayment speed (CPR)
    19.5 %     15.2 %(1)     N/A  
Range
    12.5 – 55.0 %     7.0 – 24.0 %(1)     N/A  
Impact on fair value of 10% adverse change
  $ (14 )   $ (1 )     N/A  
Impact on fair value of 20% adverse change
  $ (27 )   $ (2 )     N/A  
 
N/A=Not Applicable
CPR=Constant Prepayment Rate
(1)   Relates to select securitization transactions where assets are prepayable.

         The preceding table does not include the offsetting benefit of financial instruments that Merrill Lynch utilizes to hedge risks including credit, interest rate, and prepayment risk that are inherent in the retained interests. Merrill Lynch employs hedging strategies that are structured to take into consideration the hypothetical stress scenarios above such that they would be effective in principally offsetting Merrill Lynch’s exposure to loss in the event these scenarios occur. In addition, the sensitivity analysis is hypothetical and should be used with caution. In particular, the effect of a variation in a particular assumption on the fair value of the retained interest is calculated independent of changes in any other assumption; in practice, changes in one factor may result in changes in another, which might magnify or counteract the sensitivities. Further, changes in fair value based on a 10% or 20% variation in an assumption or parameter generally cannot be extrapolated because the relationship of the change in the assumption to the change in fair value may not be linear. Also, the sensitivity analysis does not consider any hedging activity that Merrill Lynch may take to mitigate the impact of any adverse changes in the key assumptions.

12


 

         The weighted average assumptions and parameters used initially to value retained interests relating to securitizations effected in 2004 that were still held by Merrill Lynch as of March 26, 2004 are as follows:

                         
   
    Residential              
    Mortgage     Municipal        
    Loans     Bonds     Other  
 
Weighted average life (in years)
    4.0       N/A       N/A  
Credit losses (rate per annum)
    0.2 %     0 %     0.8 %
Weighted average discount rate
    4.3 %     3.1 %     13.3 %
Prepayment speed assumption (CPR)
    17.9 %     N/A       N/A  
 
N/A=Not Applicable
CPR=Constant Prepayment Rate

         For residential mortgage loan and other securitizations, the investors and the securitization trust have no recourse to Merrill Lynch’s other assets for failure of mortgage holders to pay when due.

         For municipal bond securitization SPEs, in the normal course of dealer market-making activities, Merrill Lynch acts as liquidity provider. Specifically, the holders of beneficial interests issued by municipal bond securitization SPEs have the right to tender their interests for purchase by Merrill Lynch on specified dates at a specified price. Beneficial interests that are tendered are then sold by Merrill Lynch to investors through a best efforts remarketing where Merrill Lynch is the remarketing agent. If the beneficial interests are not successfully remarketed, the holders of beneficial interests are paid from funds drawn under a standby liquidity letter of credit issued by Merrill Lynch.

         Merrill Lynch also provides default protection or credit enhancement to investors in securities issued by certain municipal bond securitization SPEs. Interest and principal payments on beneficial interests issued by these SPEs are secured by a guarantee issued by Merrill Lynch. In the event that the issuer of the underlying municipal bond defaults on any payment of principal and/or interest when due, the payments on the bonds will be made to beneficial interest holders from an irrevocable guarantee by Merrill Lynch.

         The maximum commitment under these liquidity and default guarantees totaled $17.2 billion and $17.0 billion at March 26, 2004 and December 26, 2003, respectively. The fair value of the commitments approximated $202 million and $126 million at March 26, 2004 and December 26, 2003, respectively, which is reflected in the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements. Of these arrangements, $2.7 billion and $2.8 billion at March 26, 2004 and December 26, 2003, respectively, represent agreements where the guarantee is provided to the SPE by a third party financial intermediary and Merrill Lynch enters into a reimbursement agreement with the financial intermediary. In these arrangements, if the financial intermediary incurs losses, Merrill Lynch has up to one year to fund those losses. Additional information regarding these commitments is provided in Note 11 to the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements and in Note 13 in the 2003 Annual Report.

         The following table summarizes principal amounts outstanding, delinquencies, and net credit losses of securitized financial assets as of March 26, 2004 and December 26, 2003.

13


 

                         
(dollars in millions)  
    Residential              
    Mortgage     Municipal        
    Loans     Bonds     Other  
 
March 26, 2004
                       
Principal Amount Outstanding
    $50,455       $13,705     $ 2,931  
Delinquencies
    44              
Net Credit Losses
                1  
 
December 26, 2003
                       
Principal Amount Outstanding
    $43,777       $14,890     $ 4,527  
Delinquencies
    54              
Net Credit Losses
    3             8  
 

Variable Interest Entities

         In January 2003, the FASB issued FIN 46, which clarifies the application of Accounting Research Bulletin No. 51, Consolidated Financial Statements, for enterprises that have interests in entities that meet the definition of a VIE, and on December 24, 2003, the FASB issued FIN 46R. A VIE is an entity in which equity investors do not have the characteristics of a controlling financial interest or do not have sufficient equity at risk for the entity to finance its activities without additional subordinated financial support from other parties. FIN 46R requires that an entity shall consolidate a VIE if that enterprise has a variable interest that will absorb a majority of the VIE’s expected losses; receive a majority of the VIE’s expected residual returns; or both.

         As permitted under the transition guidance, Merrill Lynch adopted the provisions of FIN 46R on an entity-by-entity basis. At December 26, 2003 Merrill Lynch applied FIN 46R for purposes of determining those VIEs that must be consolidated or disclosed as giving rise to a significant variable interest, with the exception of those VIEs that issue TOPrSSM, in which case Merrill Lynch applied FIN 46R beginning in the first quarter of 2004. Merrill Lynch accounted for those VIEs that were consolidated under FIN 46R at year-end 2003 as a cumulative effect of a change in accounting principle, which did not have a material effect on the year-end 2003 consolidated financial statements.

         During the first quarter of 2004, in accordance with FIN 46R, Merrill Lynch deconsolidated the partnerships and trusts that issue TOPrSSM since Merrill Lynch does not bear the majority of the risks and rewards of those entities. As a result, the dividends, of approximately $48 million per quarter, related to the TOPrSSM have been reclassified from dividends on preferred securities issued by subsidiaries to net revenues (primarily interest expense), and the debt, of approximately $3.2 billion, and partnership interests, of $574 million, related to the entities have been included in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets as Long-term debt issued to TOPrSSM partnerships and Investment securities, respectively. Merrill Lynch has reflected the deconsolidation of TOPrSSM by retroactively restating prior period financial statements in order to provide comparability from period to period.

         Merrill Lynch has entered into transactions with a number of VIEs in which it is the primary beneficiary and therefore must consolidate the VIE; or is a significant variable interest holder in the VIE. These VIEs are as follows:

14


 

     
 
   
Merrill Lynch is the primary beneficiary of VIEs that own convertible bonds purchased from Merrill Lynch, in which Merrill Lynch maintains a call option to repurchase the convertible bonds from the VIE. The purpose of these VIEs is to market convertible bonds to a broad investor base by separating the bonds into callable debt and a conversion call option. Assets held by these VIEs are reported in Equities and convertible debentures or resale agreements, depending on the nature of the transaction, in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet. Holders of the beneficial interests in these VIEs have no recourse to the general credit of Merrill Lynch; their investment is paid exclusively from the convertible bonds held by the VIE.
     
 
   
Merrill Lynch is the primary beneficiary of “maturity shortening transactions,” in which the VIE serves to shorten the maturity of a fixed income security, and, at the maturity date of the VIE, Merrill Lynch has the obligation to repurchase some or all of the securities held by the VIE. Assets held by these VIEs are reported in Corporate debt and preferred stock. The beneficial interest holders in these VIEs have recourse to Merrill Lynch to the extent that the underlying assets that Merrill Lynch is required to repurchase have declined in value from the initial transaction date.
     
 
   
Merrill Lynch is the sponsor and guarantor of VIEs that provide a guarantee of principal to beneficial interest holders, thereby limiting investors’ losses generated from the assets. Merrill Lynch may also guarantee investors’ returns in excess of principal depending on the nature of the fund. In certain of these VIEs, Merrill Lynch is the primary beneficiary. Investors in these VIEs have recourse to Merrill Lynch to the extent that the value of the assets held by the VIEs at maturity is less than the investors’ initial investment or guaranteed amount. Where Merrill Lynch is not the primary beneficiary, guarantees related to these funds are discussed and disclosed in Note 11 to the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.
     
 
   
Merrill Lynch has made loans to, and/or investments in, VIEs that hold loan receivable assets and real estate, and as a result of these loans and investments, Merrill Lynch may be either the primary beneficiary of and consolidate the VIE, or may be a significant variable interest holder. These VIEs are primarily designed to provide temporary on or off-balance sheet financing to clients and/or to invest in real estate. Assets held by VIEs where ML has provided financing and is the primary beneficiary are recorded in Other assets and/or Loans, notes and mortgages in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet. Assets held by VIEs where Merrill Lynch has invested in real estate partnerships are classified as Investment securities where Merrill Lynch holds a significant variable interest, and in Other assets where Merrill Lynch is the primary beneficiary. The beneficial interest holders in these VIEs have no recourse to the general credit of Merrill Lynch; their investments are paid exclusively from the assets in the VIE.
     
 
   
Merrill Lynch has a significant variable interest in municipal bond securitization QSPEs to which it provides liquidity and default facilities. Additional information on these programs is provided in the retained interest securitization disclosures above and in Note 11 to the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.
     
 
   
Merrill Lynch has entered into transactions with VIEs that are used, in part, to provide foreign tax planning strategies to investors. Merrill Lynch is a significant variable interest holder in these VIEs.
     
 
   
Merrill Lynch has a significant variable interest in a residential mortgage securitization entered into by one of its banking subsidiaries. Specifically, ML retains a 97% interest in the VIE. In accordance with the previous accounting guidance of SFAS No. 125, Accounting for Transfers and Servicing of Financial Assets and Extinguishments of Liabilities, this entity qualifies as a

15


 

     
QSPE and therefore Merrill Lynch does not consolidate the VIE. The 97% interest is reported in Investment securities on Merrill Lynch’s Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets.
     
 
   
Merrill Lynch has entered into transactions with VIEs where Merrill Lynch is a derivative counterparty to a VIE that serves to synthetically expose investors to a specific credit risk. Based on the provisions of FIN 46R, Merrill Lynch does not have a significant variable interest since the derivative it has purchased does not absorb variability of the VIE. However, because these structures represent a significant Merrill Lynch sponsored program, information related to these structures has been included in the following table.

         The following tables summarize Merrill Lynch’s involvement with the VIEs listed above as of March 26, 2004 and December 26, 2003, respectively. Where an entity is a significant variable interest holder, FIN 46R requires that entity to disclose its maximum exposure to loss as a result of its interest in the VIE. It should be noted that this measure does not reflect Merrill Lynch’s estimate of the actual losses that could result from adverse changes because it does not reflect the economic hedges Merrill Lynch enters into to reduce its exposure.

16


 

                                 
(dollars in millions)  
    March 26, 2004  
                    Significant Variable Interest  
    Primary Beneficiary     Holder  
            Recourse to              
    Asset     Merrill     Asset     Maximum  
Description   Size     Lynch(4)     Size     Exposure  
 
Convertible Bond Stripping
    $1,315     None
    $—       $—  
Maturity Shortening
    369     $1              
Guaranteed Funds
    941       941              
Loan and Real Estate VIEs
    753     None
    795       692  
Municipal Bond Securitizations(1)
                17,154       17,154  
Foreign Tax Planning VIEs(2)
                2,811       129  
Mortgage Securitization
                329       319  
Synthetic Credit Risk VIEs(3)
                6,986       572  
 
                                 
(dollars in millions)  
    December 26, 2003  
                    Significant Variable Interest  
    Primary Beneficiary     Holder  
            Recourse to              
    Asset     Merrill     Asset     Maximum  
Description   Size     Lynch(4)     Size     Exposure  
 
Convertible Bond Stripping
    $1,864     None
    $—       $—  
Maturity Shortening
    379       $1              
Guaranteed Funds
    863       863              
Loan and Real Estate VIEs
    775     None
    636       567  
Municipal Bond Securitizations(1)
                16,927       16,927  
Foreign Tax Planning VIEs(2)
                2,811       114  
Mortgage Securitization
                345       334  
Synthetic Credit Risk VIEs(3)
                6,402       474  
 
(1)  
The maximum exposure for Municipal Bond Securitizations reflects Merrill Lynch’s potential liability as a result of the liquidity and default facilities entered into with the VIEs. It significantly overestimates Merrill Lynch’s probability weighted exposure to these VIEs because it does not reflect the economic hedges that are designed to be effective in principally offsetting Merrill Lynch’s exposure to loss.
(2)  
The maximum exposure for Foreign Tax Planning VIEs reflects the fair value of derivatives entered into with the VIEs, as well as the maximum exposure to loss associated with indemnifications made to investors in the VIEs.
(3)  
The maximum exposure for Synthetic Credit Risk VIEs is the asset carrying value of the derivatives entered into with the VIEs as of March 26, 2004 and December 26, 2003, respectively.
(4)  
This column reflects the extent, if any, to which investors have recourse to Merrill Lynch beyond the assets held in the VIE.

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Note 7. Loans, Notes, and Mortgages and Related Commitments to Extend Credit

         Loans, Notes, and Mortgages and related commitments to extend credit at March 26, 2004 and December 26, 2003, are presented below:

                                 
(dollars in millions)
    Loans   Commitments
    Mar. 26, 2004   Dec. 26, 2003   Mar. 26, 2004(1)   Dec. 26, 2003
 
Consumer and small- and middle-market business:
                               
Mortgages
    $16,734       $16,688       $5,208       $4,842  
Small- and middle-market business
    6,954       6,737       3,408       3,411  
Other
    3,035       4,045       665       603  
Commercial:
                               
Secured
    21,275       21,048       15,461       12,425  
Unsecured investment grade
    1,268       1,806       17,967       15,028  
Unsecured non-investment grade
    683       669       874       562  
 
                               
Total
    $49,949       $50,993       $43,583       $36,871  
 
(1)  
See Note 11 for the maturity profile of these commitments.

         The loan amounts are net of an allowance for loan losses of $308 million and $318 million as of March 26, 2004 and December 26, 2003, respectively.

         Consumer and small- and middle-market business loans, substantially all of which are secured by real and/or personal property, consisted of approximately 203,100 individual loans at March 26, 2004 and included residential mortgages, home equity loans, small- and middle-market business loans, and other loans to individuals for household, family, or other personal expenditures. Commercial loans, which at March 26, 2004 consisted of approximately 6,900 separate loans, included syndicated loans and other loans to corporations and other businesses. Secured loans and commitments include lending activities made in the normal course of Merrill Lynch’s securities and financing businesses. The investment grade and non-investment grade categorization is determined using the credit rating agency equivalent of internal credit ratings. Non-investment grade counterparties are those rated lower than BBB. Merrill Lynch enters into credit default swaps to mitigate credit exposure primarily related to funded and unfunded unsecured commercial loans. The notional value of these swaps totaled $4.9 billion at March 26, 2004 and December 26, 2003.

         The above amounts include $8.3 billion and $7.6 billion of loans held for sale at March 26, 2004 and December 26, 2003, respectively. Loans held for sale are loans which management expects to sell prior to maturity. At March 26, 2004, such loans consisted of $4.8 billion of consumer loans, primarily residential mortgages, and $3.5 billion of commercial loans, approximately 65% of which are to investment grade counterparties. At December 26, 2003, such loans consisted of $5.2 billion of consumer loans, primarily residential mortgages, and $2.4 billion of commercial loans, approximately 59% of which were to investment grade counterparties. For information on the accounting policy related to loans, notes, and mortgages, see Note 1 in the 2003 Annual Report.

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Note 8. Commercial Paper, Short- and Long-Term Borrowings, and Bank Deposits

         Commercial paper and Other short-term borrowings and Bank deposits at March 26, 2004 and December 26, 2003 are presented below:

                 
(dollars in millions)
    Mar. 26, 2004   Dec. 26, 2003
 
Commercial paper and other short-term borrowings
               
Commercial paper
    $3,822       $4,568  
Other
    814       432  
 
               
Total
    $4,636       $5,000  
 
               
Bank deposits
               
U.S.
    $65,441       $65,409  
Non U.S.
    12,685       14,048  
 
               
Total
    $78,126       $79,457  
 

Long-term borrowings

         Merrill Lynch issues debt and Certificates of deposit whose coupons or repayment terms are linked to the performance of equity or other indices (e.g., S&P 500) or baskets of securities. These instruments are assessed to determine if there is an embedded derivative that requires separate reporting and accounting. Beginning in 2004, in accordance with SEC guidance, Merrill Lynch amortizes any upfront profit associated with the embedded derivative into income as a yield adjustment over the life of the related debt instrument or Certificate of deposit.

         In March 2002, Merrill Lynch issued $2.3 billion aggregate original principal amount of floating rate zero-coupon contingently convertible debt (Liquid Yield OptionTM notes or LYONs®) at an issue price of $1,000 per note. At maturity, the LYONs® holder will receive the original principal amount of $1,000 increased daily by a variable rate. The LYONs® are unsecured and unsubordinated indebtedness of Merrill Lynch with a maturity date of 30 years. Merrill Lynch will pay no interest prior to maturity unless, during any six-month period beginning June 1, 2007, the average market price of a LYONs® for a certain period exceeds 120% of the accreted value of the LYONs®. Holders of LYONs® may convert each security into 13.8213 shares (i.e., the “conversion rate”) of Merrill Lynch common stock based on the conditions described below.

         In May 2001, Merrill Lynch issued $4.6 billion of aggregate original principal amount of fixed rate contingently convertible LYONs® at an issue price of $511.08 per note, which resulted in gross proceeds of approximately $2.4 billion. Each note has a yield to maturity of 2.25% with a maturity value of $1,000 on May 23, 2031. Merrill Lynch is amortizing the issue discount using the effective interest method over the term of the LYONs®. The LYONs® are unsecured unsubordinated indebtedness of Merrill Lynch with a maturity of 30 years. Merrill Lynch will pay no interest prior to maturity unless, during any six-month period beginning June 1, 2006, the average market price of a LYONs® for a certain period exceeds 120% of the accreted value of the LYONs®. Holders of LYONs® may convert each security into 5.6787 shares (i.e., the “conversion rate”) of common stock based on the conditions described below.

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         The conversion rate for both of Merrill Lynch’s LYONs® will be adjusted for:
     
 
   
Dividends or distributions payable in Merrill Lynch common stock.
     
 
   
Distributions to all holders of Merrill Lynch common stock of certain rights to purchase the stock at less than the sale price of Merrill Lynch stock at that time.
     
 
   
Distribution of Merrill Lynch assets to holders of Merrill Lynch common stock (excluding cash dividends that are not extraordinary dividends), or
     
 
   
Certain corporate events, such as consolidation, merger or transfer of all, or substantially all, of Merrill Lynch’s assets.

         Both of Merrill Lynch LYONs® issuances may be converted based on any of the following conditions:
     
 
   
If the closing price of Merrill Lynch common stock for at least 20 of the last 30 consecutive trading days ending on the last day of the quarter is more than the conversion trigger price. The conversion trigger price for the floating rate LYONs® at March 26, 2004 was $86.82. (That is, at March 26, 2004, a holder could have converted a floating rate LYONs® into 13.8213 shares of Merrill Lynch stock if the Merrill Lynch stock price had been greater than $86.82 for at least 20 of the last 30 consecutive trading days at the end of the last day of the quarter). The conversion trigger price for the fixed rate LYONs® at March 26, 2004 was $113.76. The conversion trigger price will change each quarter based on the accreted value of the LYONs® at that date.
     
 
   
During any period in which the credit rating of LYONs® is Baa1 or lower by Moody’s Investor Services, Inc., BBB+ or lower by Standard & Poor’s Credit Market Services, or BBB+ or lower by Fitch, Inc.
     
 
   
If the LYONs® are called for redemption.
     
 
   
If Merrill Lynch is party to a consolidation, merger or binding share exchange, or
     
 
   
If Merrill Lynch makes a distribution that has a per share value equal to more than 15% of the sale price of its shares on the day preceding the declaration date for such distribution.

         As of March 26, 2004 none of the conversion triggers above had been met and, as a result, the related shares have not been included in the diluted EPS calculation.

         Holders of LYONs® may require Merrill Lynch to repurchase their convertible instruments at accreted value on various dates prior to maturity. The initial put date for holders of floating rate LYONs® is March 13, 2005. The initial put date for fixed rate LYONs® is May 23, 2004. Merrill Lynch may pay the purchase price in cash, shares or any combination thereof. Merrill Lynch has elected to pay the purchase price for any fixed rate LYONs®that are put back to

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Merrill Lynch on May 23, 2004, with cash. The maximum cash payment assuming the entire issue is put back to Merrill Lynch, would be $2.5 billion.

         For further information regarding Merrill Lynch LYONs® issuances, refer to Note 9 of the 2003 Annual Report.

Note 9. Comprehensive Income

         The components of comprehensive income are as follows:

                 
(dollars in millions)  
    Three Months Ended  
    Mar. 26,     Mar. 28,  
    2004     2003  
 
Net Earnings
  $ 1,251     $ 642  
 
           
Other comprehensive income, net of tax:
               
Currency translation adjustment
    (8 )     6  
Net unrealized gain on investment securities available-for-sale
    63       18  
Deferred gain on cash flow hedges
    8       6  
 
           
Total other comprehensive income, net of tax
    63       30  
 
           
Comprehensive income
  $ 1,314     $ 672  
 

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Note 10. Earnings Per Share

         The computation of earnings per common share is as follows:

                 
(dollars in millions, except per share amounts)  
    Three Months Ended  
    Mar. 26,     Mar. 28,  
    2004     2003  
 
Net Earnings
  $ 1,251     $ 642  
Preferred stock dividends
    10       10  
 
           
Net earnings applicable to common stockholders
  $ 1,241     $ 632  
 
           
 
(shares in thousands)
               
Weighted-average shares outstanding
    930,155       887,553  
 
           
Effect of dilutive instruments(1) (2):
               
Employee stock options
    46,214       21,108  
Financial Advisor Capital Accumulation Award Plan shares
    23,353       20,373  
Restricted shares and units
    19,929       12,723  
Employee Stock Purchase Plan shares
          118  
 
           
Dilutive potential common shares
    89,496       54,322  
 
           
Total weighted-average diluted shares
    1,019,651       941,875  
 
           
 
Basic earnings per common share
  $ 1.33     $ 0.71  
Diluted earnings per common share
  $ 1.22     $ 0.67  
 
(1)  
During the 2004 and 2003 first quarter there were 40 million and 159 million instruments, respectively, that were considered antidilutive and thus were not included in the above calculations. Additionally, shares related to Merrill Lynch’s LYONs® issuance are not included in the computation of diluted earnings per share because the threshold trigger price for conversion has not been reached. See Note 8 to the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.
(2)  
See Note 15 to the 2003 Annual Report for a description of these instruments.

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Note 11. Commitments, Contingencies and Guarantees

Litigation

         Merrill Lynch has been named as a defendant in various legal actions, including arbitrations, class actions, and other litigation arising in connection with its activities as a global diversified financial services institution. The general decline of equity securities prices between 2000 and 2003 has resulted in increased legal actions against many firms, including Merrill Lynch, and will likely result in higher professional fees and litigation expenses than those incurred in the past.

         Some of the legal actions include claims for substantial compensatory and/or punitive damages or claims for indeterminate amounts of damages. In some cases, the issuers who would otherwise be the primary defendants in such cases are bankrupt or otherwise in financial distress. Merrill Lynch is also involved in investigations and/or proceedings by governmental and self-regulatory agencies. The number of these investigations has also increased in recent years with regard to many firms, including Merrill Lynch.

         Given the number of these legal actions, investigations and proceedings, some are likely to result in adverse judgments, settlements, penalties, injunctions, fines, or other relief. Merrill Lynch believes it has strong defenses to, and where appropriate, will vigorously contest these actions. In many cases, including the class action lawsuits disclosed in Item 3 of the 2003 Form 10-K, it is not possible to determine whether a liability has been incurred or to estimate the ultimate or minimum amount of that liability until years after the litigation has been commenced, in which case no accrual is made until that time. In view of the inherent difficulty of predicting the outcome of such matters, particularly in cases in which claimants seek substantial or indeterminate damages, Merrill Lynch often cannot predict what the eventual loss or range of loss related to such matters will be. Merrill Lynch believes, based on information available to it, that the resolution of these actions will not have a material adverse effect on the financial condition of Merrill Lynch as set forth in the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements, but may be material to Merrill Lynch’s operating results or cash flows for any particular period and may impact ML & Co.’s credit ratings.

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Commitments

         At March 26, 2004, Merrill Lynch’s commitments had the following expirations:

                                         
(dollars in millions)  
            Commitment expiration  
            Less than                     Over 5  
    Total     1 year     1– 3 years     3+ – 5 years     years  
 
Commitments to extend credit(1)
  $ 43,583     $ 19,887     $ 10,107     $ 7,824     $ 5,765  
Purchasing and other commitments
    8,663       7,408       570       449       236  
Operating leases
    3,809       525       1,010       845       1,429  
Resale agreements
    14,821       14,821                    
 
                             
Total
  $ 70,876     $ 42,641     $ 11,687     $ 9,118     $ 7,430  
 
(1)  
See Note 7 to the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements and Note 13 in the 2003 Annual Report for additional details.

Other Commitments

         Merrill Lynch also obtains commercial letters of credit from issuing banks to satisfy various counterparty collateral requirements in lieu of depositing cash or securities collateral. Commercial letters of credit aggregated $565 million and $507 million at March 26, 2004 and December 26, 2003, respectively.

         Merrill Lynch has commitments to purchase partnership interests, primarily related to private equity investing activities, of $406 million and $426 million at March 26, 2004 and December 26, 2003, respectively. Merrill Lynch also has entered into agreements with providers of market data, communications, and systems consulting services. At March 26, 2004 and December 26, 2003 minimum fee commitments over the remaining life of these agreements aggregated $492 million and $503 million, respectively. Merrill Lynch has entered into other purchasing commitments totaling $7.8 billion and $7.4 billion at March 26, 2004 and December 26, 2003, respectively.

Leases

         Merrill Lynch has entered into various noncancellable long-term lease agreements for premises that expire through 2024. Merrill Lynch has also entered into various noncancellable short-term lease agreements, which are primarily commitments of less than one year under equipment leases.

         In 1999 and 2000, Merrill Lynch established two SPEs to finance its Hopewell, New Jersey campus and an aircraft. Merrill Lynch leased the facilities and the aircraft from the SPEs. The total amount of funds raised by the SPEs to finance these transactions was $383 million. These SPEs were not consolidated by Merrill Lynch pursuant to accounting guidance. In the second quarter of 2003, the facilities and aircraft owned by these SPEs were acquired by a newly created limited partnership, which is unaffiliated with Merrill Lynch. The limited partnership acquired the assets subject to the leases with Merrill Lynch as well as the existing indebtedness incurred by the original SPEs. The proceeds from the sale of the assets to the limited partnership, net of the debt assumed by the limited partnership, were used to repay the equity investors in the original

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SPEs. After the transaction was completed, the original SPEs were dissolved. The limited partnership has also entered into leases with third parties unrelated to Merrill Lynch.

         The leases with the limited partnership mature in 2005 and 2006, and each lease has a renewal term to 2008. In addition, Merrill Lynch has entered into guarantees with the limited partnership, whereby if Merrill Lynch does not renew the lease or purchase the assets under its lease at the end of either the initial or the renewal lease term, the underlying assets will be sold to a third party, and Merrill Lynch has guaranteed that the proceeds of such sale will amount to at least 84% of the acquisition cost of the assets. The maximum exposure to Merrill Lynch as a result of this residual value guarantee is approximately $325 million as of March 26, 2004. As of March 26, 2004, the carrying value of the liability on the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements is $32 million. Merrill Lynch’s residual value guarantee does not comprise more than half of the limited partnership’s assets.

         The limited partnership does not meet the definition of a variable interest entity as defined in FIN 46R and Merrill Lynch does not have a partnership or other interest in the limited partnership. Accordingly, Merrill Lynch is not required to consolidate the limited partnership in its financial statements. The leases with the limited partnership are accounted for as operating leases.

Guarantees

         Merrill Lynch issues various guarantees to counterparties in connection with certain leasing, securitization and other transactions. In addition, Merrill Lynch enters into certain derivative contracts that meet the accounting definition of a guarantee under FIN 45. FIN 45 defines guarantees to include derivative contracts that contingently require a guarantor to make payment to a guaranteed party based on changes in an underlying (such as changes in the value of interest rates, security prices, currency rates, commodity prices, indices, etc.) that relate to an asset, liability or equity security of a guaranteed party. Derivatives that meet the FIN 45 definition of guarantees include certain written options and credit default swaps (contracts that require Merrill Lynch to pay the counterparty the par value of a referenced security if that referenced security defaults). Merrill Lynch does not track, for accounting purposes, whether its clients enter into these derivative contracts for speculative or hedging purposes. Accordingly, Merrill Lynch has disclosed information about all credit default swaps and certain types of written options that can potentially be used by clients to protect against changes in an underlying, regardless of how the contracts are used by the client.

         For certain derivative contracts such as written interest rate caps and written currency options, the maximum payout is not quantifiable, because, for example, the rise in interest rates or changes in foreign exchange rates could theoretically be unlimited. In addition, Merrill Lynch does not monitor its exposure to derivatives in this manner. As such, rather than including the maximum payout, the notional value of these contracts has been included to provide information about the magnitude of involvement with these types of contracts. However, it should be noted that the notional value overstates Merrill Lynch’s exposure to these contracts.

         Merrill Lynch records all derivative transactions at fair value on its Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets. A risk framework is used to define risk tolerances and establish limits to ensure that certain risk-related losses occur within acceptable, predefined limits. Merrill Lynch economically hedges its exposure to these contracts by entering into a variety of offsetting derivative contracts and security positions. See the Derivatives section of Note 1 in the 2003 Annual Report for further discussion of risk management of derivatives.

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         Merrill Lynch also provides guarantees to SPEs in the form of liquidity facilities, credit default protection and residual value guarantees for equipment leasing entities.

         The liquidity facilities and credit default protection relate primarily to municipal bond securitization SPEs. Merrill Lynch acts as liquidity provider to municipal bond securitization SPEs. Specifically, the holders of beneficial interests issued by these SPEs have the right to tender their interests for purchase by Merrill Lynch on specified dates at a specified price. If the beneficial interests are not successfully remarketed, the holders of beneficial interests are paid from funds drawn under a standby facility issued by Merrill Lynch (or by third party financial institutions where Merrill Lynch has agreed to reimburse the financial institution if a draw occurs). If the standby facility is drawn, Merrill Lynch may claim the underlying assets held by the SPEs. In general, standby facilities that are not coupled with default protection are not exercisable in the event of a downgrade below investment grade or default of the assets held by the SPEs. In addition, the value of the assets held by the SPE plus any additional collateral pledged to Merrill Lynch exceeds the amount of beneficial interests issued, which provides additional support to Merrill Lynch in the event that the standby facility is drawn. The assets to which Merrill Lynch has recourse are on a deal-by-deal basis and are not part of a cross collateralized pool. As of March 26, 2004, the value of the municipal bond assets to which Merrill Lynch has recourse in the event of a draw was $18.0 billion and the maximum payout if the standby facilities are drawn was $14.0 billion.

         In certain instances, Merrill Lynch also provides default protection in addition to liquidity facilities. Specifically, in the event that an issuer of a municipal bond held by the SPE defaults on any payment of principal and/or interest when due, the payments on the bonds will be made to beneficial interest holders from an irrevocable guarantee by Merrill Lynch (or by third party financial institutions where Merrill Lynch has agreed to reimburse the financial institution if losses occur). If the default protection is drawn, Merrill Lynch may claim the underlying assets held by the SPEs. As of March 26, 2004, the value of the assets to which Merrill Lynch has recourse in the event that an issuer of a municipal bond held by the SPE defaults on any payment of principal and/or interest when due, was $4.1 billion; the maximum payout if an issuer defaults was $3.2 billion. As described in the preceding paragraph, the assets to which Merrill Lynch has recourse are not part of a cross collateralized pool.

         Further, to protect against declines in the value of the assets held by SPEs for which Merrill Lynch provides either liquidity facilities or default protection, Merrill Lynch economically hedges its exposure though derivative positions that principally offset the risk of loss arising from these guarantees.

         Merrill Lynch also provides residual value guarantees to leasing SPEs where either Merrill Lynch or a third party is the lessee. For transactions where Merrill Lynch is not the lessee, the guarantee provides loss coverage for any shortfalls in the proceeds from asset sales greater than 75 — 90% of the adjusted acquisition price, as defined. As of March 26, 2004, the value of the assets for which Merrill Lynch provides residual value guarantees and is not the lessee was $538 million. Where Merrill Lynch is the lessee, it provides a guarantee that any proceeds from the sale of the assets will amount to at least 84% of the adjusted acquisition price, as defined.

         Merrill Lynch also enters into reimbursement agreements in conjunction with sales of loans originated under its Mortgage 100SM program. Under this program, borrowers can pledge marketable securities in lieu of making a cash down payment. Upon sale of these mortgage loans, purchasers may require a surety bond that reimburses for certain shortfalls in the borrowers’ securities accounts. Merrill Lynch provides this reimbursement through a financial intermediary.

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         Merrill Lynch requires borrowers to meet daily collateral calls to ensure that the securities pledged as down payment are sufficient at all times. Merrill Lynch believes that its potential for loss under these arrangements is remote. Accordingly, no liability is recorded in the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.

         In addition, Merrill Lynch makes guarantees to counterparties in the form of standby letters of credit. Merrill Lynch holds marketable securities of $255 million as collateral to secure these guarantees. In addition, standby letters of credit include $104 million of financial guarantees for which Merrill Lynch has recourse to the guaranteed party upon draw down.

         Further, in conjunction with certain principal-protected mutual funds, Merrill Lynch guarantees the return of the initial principal investment at the termination date of the fund. These funds are generally managed based on a formula that requires the fund to hold a combination of general investments and highly liquid risk-free assets that, when combined, will result in the return of principal at the maturity date unless there is a significant market event. At March 26, 2004 Merrill Lynch’s maximum potential exposure to loss with respect to these guarantees is $569 million assuming that the funds are invested exclusively in other general investments (i.e., the funds hold no risk-free assets), and that those other general investments suffer a total loss. As such, this measure significantly overstates Merrill Lynch’s exposure or expected loss at March 26, 2004. These guarantees meet the SFAS No. 149 definition of derivatives and, as such, are carried as an asset with a fair value of $20 million at March 26, 2004.

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         These guarantees and their expiration are summarized at March 26, 2004 as follows:

                                                 
(dollars in millions)  
    Maximum     Less                          
    Payout/     than 1     1 – 3     3– 5     Over 5     Carrying  
    Notional     year     years     years     years     Value  
 
Derivative contracts(1)
  $ 976,409     $ 371,452     $ 263,921     $ 210,657     $ 130,379     $ 19,269  
Liquidity facilities with SPEs(2)
    13,999       11,693       2,306                   101  
Liquidity and default facilities with SPEs
    3,213       1,851       1,074       1       287       101  
Residual value guarantees(3)(4)
    1,876       80       26       420       1,350       40  
Standby letters of credit and other performance guarantees(5)
    1,068       347       92       52       577       (19 )
 
(1)  
As noted above, the notional value of derivative contracts is provided rather than the maximum payout amount, although the notional value should not be considered as a substitute for maximum payout.
(2)  
Amounts relate primarily to facilities provided to municipal bond securitization SPEs. Includes $2.7 billion of guarantees provided to SPEs by third party financial institutions where Merrill Lynch has agreed to reimburse the financial institution if losses occur, and has up to one year to fund losses.
(3)  
Includes residual value guarantees associated with the Hopewell campus and aircraft leases of $325 million.
(4)  
Includes $937 million of reimbursement agreements with the Mortgage 100SM program.
(5)  
Includes guarantees related to principal-protected mutual funds.

         See Note 13 in the 2003 Annual Report for additional information on guarantees.

Note 12. Employee Benefit Plans

         Merrill Lynch provides retirement and other postemployment benefits to its employees worldwide through defined contribution and defined benefit pension plans and other postretirement benefit plans. These plans vary based on the country and local practices. Merrill Lynch reserves the right to amend or terminate these plans at any time. Refer to Note 14 in the 2003 Annual Report for a complete discussion on employee benefit plans.

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Defined Benefit Pension Plans

         Pension cost for the three months ended March 26, 2004 and March 28, 2003, for Merrill Lynch’s defined benefit pension plans, included the following components:

                 
(dollars in millions)  
    Three Months Ended  
    Mar. 26,     Mar. 28,  
    2004     2003  
 
Service cost
  $ 12     $ 11  
Interest cost
    38       36  
Expected return on plan assets
    (35 )     (34 )
Amortization of unrecognized items and other
    3        
 
           
Total defined benefit pension cost
  $ 18     $ 13  
 

         Merrill Lynch disclosed in its 2003 Annual Report that it expected to contribute $57 million to its defined benefit pension plans in 2004. Merrill Lynch periodically updates these estimates, and currently expects to contribute $32 million to its defined benefit pension plans in 2004.

Postretirement Benefits Other Than Pensions

         Other postretirement benefits cost for the three months ended March 26, 2004 and March 28, 2003, included the following components:

                 
(dollars in millions)  
    Three Months Ended  
    Mar. 26,     Mar. 28,  
    2004     2003  
 
Service cost
  $ 4     $ 4  
Interest cost
    8       8  
Other
    2       2  
 
           
Total other postretirement benefits cost
  $ 14     $ 14  
 

         Merrill Lynch disclosed in its 2003 Annual Report that it expected to contribute $19 million to its postretirement benefit plans in 2004. Merrill Lynch does not expect contributions to differ significantly from amounts previously disclosed.

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Note 13. Regulatory Requirements

         Certain U.S. and non-U.S. subsidiaries are subject to various securities and banking regulations and capital adequacy requirements promulgated by the regulatory and exchange authorities of the countries in which they operate. Merrill Lynch’s principal regulated subsidiaries are discussed below.

Securities Regulation

         Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated (“MLPF&S”), a U.S. registered broker-dealer and futures commission merchant, is subject to the net capital requirements of Rule 15c3-1 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the capital requirements of the Commodities Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”). Under the alternative method permitted by Rule 15c3-1, the minimum required net capital, as defined, shall not be less than 2% of aggregate debit items (“ADI”) arising from customer transactions. The CFTC also requires that minimum net capital should not be less than 4% of segregated and secured requirements. At March 26, 2004, MLPF&S’s regulatory net capital of $2,557 million was approximately 18.9 % of ADI, and its regulatory net capital in excess of the minimum required was $2,270 million at 2% of ADI.

         Merrill Lynch International (“MLI”), a U.K. regulated investment firm, is subject to capital requirements of the Financial Services Authority (“FSA”). Financial resources, as defined, must exceed the total financial resources requirement of the FSA. At March 26, 2004, MLI’s financial resources were $6,438 million, exceeding the minimum requirement by $1,083 million.

         Merrill Lynch Government Securities Inc. (“MLGSI”), a primary dealer in U.S. Government securities, is subject to the capital adequacy requirements of the Government Securities Act of 1986. This rule requires dealers to maintain liquid capital in excess of market and credit risk, as defined, by 20% (a 1.2-to-1 capital-to-risk standard). At March 26, 2004, MLGSI’s liquid capital of $2,227 million was 232 % of its total market and credit risk, and liquid capital in excess of the minimum required was $1,075 million.

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Banking Regulation

         Two subsidiaries of ML & Co., Merrill Lynch Bank USA (“MLBUSA”) and Merrill Lynch Bank & Trust Co. (“MLB&T”) are required to maintain capital levels that at least equal minimum capital levels specified in federal banking laws and regulations. Failure to meet the minimum levels will result in certain mandatory, and possibly additional discretionary, actions by the regulators that, if undertaken, could have a direct material effect on the banks. The capital levels, defined as the Tier 1 leverage ratio, the Tier 1 risk-based ratio, and the Total risk-based capital ratio, are calculated as (i) Tier 1 Capital or Total Capital to (ii) average assets or risk-weighted assets. MLBUSA and MLB&T each exceed the minimum bank regulatory requirement for classification as a well-capitalized bank for the Tier 1 leverage ratio — 5%, the Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio — 6% and the Total risk-based capital ratio — 10%. The following table represents the actual capital ratios and amounts for MLBUSA and MLB&T at March 26, 2004 and December 26, 2003.

                                 
(dollars in millions)  
    Mar. 26, 2004     Dec. 26, 2003  
    Actual Ratio     Amount     Actual Ratio     Amount  
 
Tier I leverage (to average assets)
                               
MLBUSA
    6.75 %   $ 4,640       6.47 %   $ 4,480  
MLB&T
    5.63       863       6.00       857  
Tier I capital (to risk-weighted assets)
                               
MLBUSA
    10.60       4,640       10.73       4,480  
MLB&T
    16.92       863       19.18       857  
Total capital (to risk-weighted assets)
                               
MLBUSA
    11.12       4,867       11.28       4,706  
MLB&T
    16.94       864       19.20       858  
 

         Merrill Lynch Capital Markets Bank Limited (“MLCMB”), an Ireland-based regulated bank, is subject to the capital requirements of the Irish Financial Services Regulatory Authority (“IFSRA”), as well as to those of the State of New York Banking Department (“NYSBD”), as the consolidated supervisor of its indirect parent, Merrill Lynch International Finance Corporation (“MLIFC”). MLCMB is required to meet minimum regulatory capital requirements under EU banking law as implemented in Ireland by IFSRA. At March 26, 2004, MLCMB’s capital ratio was above the minimum requirement at 12.09% and its financial resources, as defined, were $1,899 million.

         Merrill Lynch International Bank Limited (“MLIB”), a U.K.-based regulated bank, is subject to the capital requirements of the Financial Services Authority (“FSA”) as well as those of the NYSBD as part of the MLIFC group. MLIB is required to meet minimum regulatory capital requirements under EU banking law as implemented in the U.K. MLIB’s consolidated capital ratio (including its subsidiary Merrill Lynch Bank (Suisse) S.A.), is above the minimum capital requirements established by the FSA. At March 26, 2004, MLIB’s consolidated capital ratio was 14.7% and its consolidated financial resources were $2,257 million.

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REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

To the Board of Directors and Stockholders of Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc.:

We have reviewed the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheet of Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc. and subsidiaries (“Merrill Lynch”) as of March 26, 2004, and the related condensed consolidated statements of earnings and cash flows for the three-month periods ended March 26, 2004 and March 28, 2003. These interim financial statements are the responsibility of Merrill Lynch’s management.

We conducted our review in accordance with standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). A review of interim financial information consists principally of applying analytical procedures and making inquiries of persons responsible for financial and accounting matters. It is substantially less in scope than an audit conducted in accordance with standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States), the objective of which is the expression of an opinion regarding the financial statements taken as a whole. Accordingly, we do not express such an opinion.

Based on our review, we are not aware of any material modifications that should be made to such condensed consolidated interim financial statements for them to be in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

As discussed in Note 2 to the condensed consolidated interim financial statements, the condensed consolidated interim financial statements as of March 26, 2004 and for the three-month periods ended March 26, 2004 and March 28, 2003 have been restated to correct the accounting for certain retail account fees.

We have previously audited, in accordance with standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States), the consolidated balance sheet of Merrill Lynch as of December 26, 2003, and the related consolidated statements of earnings, changes in stockholders’ equity, comprehensive income and cash flows for the year then ended (not presented herein); and in our report dated March 1, 2004 (May 4, 2004 as to the effects of the restatement related to stock-based compensation described in Note 2 to the consolidated financial statements) (February 3, 2005 as to the effects of the restatement related to the accounting for certain retail account fees described in Note 2 to the consolidated financial statements) we expressed an unqualified opinion on those consolidated financial statements and included explanatory paragraphs for the change in accounting method in 2002 for goodwill amortization to conform to Statement of Financial Accounting Standards (“SFAS”) No. 142, Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets, for the change in accounting method in 2004 for stock-based compensation to conform to SFAS No. 123, Accounting for Stock-Based Compensation, as amended by SFAS No. 148, Accounting for Stock-Based Compensation – Transition and Disclosure, by retroactively restating its 2003, 2002 and 2001 consolidated financial statements, and for the restatement to correct the accounting for certain retail account fees. In our opinion, the information set forth in the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheet as of December 26, 2003 is fairly stated, in all material respects, in relation to the restated consolidated balance sheet from which it has been derived.

/s/ Deloitte & Touche LLP

New York, New York
May 4, 2004 (February 3, 2005 as to the effects of the restatement related to the accounting for certain retail account fees described in Note 2)