By Reuters* Back in black as loan loss provisions drop sharply* New CEO: Likely no need to raise capital again* Q2 EPS 12 cents vs Wall St estimate of 11-cent loss* Shares jump 7 percent after hoursNEW YORK – Online broker E*Trade Financial Corp surprised Wall Street by posting its first quarterly profit in three years, helped by a far smaller provision for loan losses than analysts had expected, and its shares rose 7 percent.A sharp trading spike also helped snap 11 quarters of losses for the E*Trade, whose shares were hammered in recent years as its mortgage-related loans soured.Company executives told Reuters on Thursday it was now unlikely to need to raise external capital — a marked change from a year ago when bankruptcy seemed a possibility.”It’s quite a substantial improvement, and I reckon it will be quite a pleasant surprise for the Street.” said Chief Executive Steven Freiberg, who took the reins in April.E*Trade’s shares rose 7 percent after hours after closing up 4.46 percent at $13.35.The company set aside $166 million for loan losses in the quarter, compared with $268 million in the previous quarter.
July 23rd, 2010
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