SUBPRIME TURMOIL HITS LENDERS

f117a

Turmoil in the US mortgage market took a toll on earnings at Goldman Sachs, Bear Stearns and Freddie Mac amid suggestions that Wall Street's long run of record-breaking profits may be coming to an end.

Wall Street's second-quarter results are being closely watched because of fears that soaring US subprime mortgage delinquencies, rising interest rates and choppy equity markets are bringing an end to the near-perfect conditions that led to record first-quarter profits.

The money is still flowing in, as evidenced by record results posted by Lehman Brothers on Tuesday. But yesterday's reports suggested the party on Wall Street is quietening at several banks.




美国抵押贷款市场的动荡，给高盛(Goldman Sachs)、贝尔斯登(Bear Stearns)和联邦住宅抵押贷款公司(Freddie Mac)的收益带来巨大影响，有迹象表明，华尔街银行利润屡创纪录的局面可能即将终结。

市场人士正在密切关注华尔街银行的第二季度业绩，原因是人们担心，美国次级抵押贷款市场不断加剧的债务拖欠问题、日益上升的利率和震荡不止的股市，正在终结近乎完美的市场环境，而有利的市场环境曾推动华尔街银行实现了创纪录的第一季度利润。

雷曼兄弟(Lehman Brothers)本周二发布的创纪录业绩表明，资金仍在不断流入。但数家银行昨日发布的业绩报告表明，华尔街的盛宴正在归于平静。