Exhibit 99.1
| News | ||||||
| Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc. | ||||||
| World Headquarters | ||||||
| 4 World Financial Center | ||||||
| New York, New York 10080 | ||||||
 |
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| Release date: December 5, 2008 | ||||||
| For information contact: | ||||||
| Media Relations: | ||||||
| Jessica Oppenheim (212) 449-2107 | ||||||
| Jessica_Oppenheim@ml.com | ||||||
| Investor Relations: | ||||||
| Grace Yoon (866) 607-1234 | ||||||
| Investor_Relations@ml.com | ||||||
MERRILL LYNCH STOCKHOLDERS APPROVE TRANSACTION
WITH BANK OF AMERICA
WITH BANK OF AMERICA
NEW YORK, December 5, 2008 — Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc. (NYSE: MER) announced that Bank of
America’s acquisition of Merrill Lynch was approved today at its special stockholders meeting along
with two other related proposals. Under the terms of the transaction, which was announced on
September 15, 2008, Merrill Lynch stockholders will receive 0.8595 of a share of Bank of America
common stock for each share of Merrill Lynch common stock held immediately prior to the merger and
Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc. will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Bank of America Corporation.
The acquisition is expected to close by the end of the year, pending the receipt of regulatory
approvals and the satisfaction of other customary closing conditions.
“By approving this transaction, Merrill Lynch stockholders expressed confidence that the
combination of our firm and Bank of America will create one of the most powerful financial
institutions in the world, with unmatched capabilities and service,” said, John Thain, chairman and CEO of Merrill
Lynch. “This combination will create great value for our stockholders and clients around the
world.”
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