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WaMu Reports Significant Build-Up of Reserves Contributing to Second Quarter Net Loss of $3.3 Billion
Company Increases Capital Levels

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Company Expects to Reduce Expenses by $1 billion

WaMu (NYSE:WM) today announced a second quarter 2008 net loss of $3.33 billion as it significantly increased its loan loss reserves by $3.74 billion to $8.46 billion. The quarter’s loss compares with the first quarter net loss of $1.14 billion and net income of $830 million during the second quarter of 2007. The quarter’s financial results reflect an elevated level of provisioning due in large part to changes in the company’s provisioning assumptions in response to continued declines in housing prices nationwide. These changes had the effect of accelerating provisions into the quarter. The quarter’s provision was $5.9 billion compared with $2.2 billion of net charge-offs. The company now expects the remaining cumulative losses in its residential mortgage portfolios to be toward the upper end of the range it disclosed in April, and continues to expect 2008 to be the peak year for provisioning.

The company’s tangible equity to total tangible assets capital ratio increased during the second quarter to 7.79 percent from 6.40 percent in the first quarter, resulting in approximately $7 billion of capital in excess of its targeted 5.50 percent level. The increase reflects the effects of the $7.2 billion capital raise, the reduction of the company’s balance sheet by $10 billion and the loss for the quarter. The company also maintained strong levels of liquidity during the quarter, with over $40 billion of readily available liquidity at quarter end.

“In the face of unprecedented housing and mortgage market conditions, we are continuing to execute on a comprehensive plan designed to ensure that we have strong capital and liquidity, an appropriately-sized expense base and a strong, profitable retail franchise,” said WaMu Chief Executive Officer Kerry Killinger. “Our recent $7.2 billion capital raise, combined with the other proactive steps we have taken this quarter to strengthen our banking franchise and further expense reductions, continue to move us toward achieving these goals.”

Killinger also said that the company now expects to realize annualized cost savings of approximately $1 billion which will contribute to improved pretax, pre-provision earnings. “We remain confident that we have sufficient capital to successfully manage our way through this challenging period,” Killinger added.

The company reported a second quarter diluted loss per share of $6.58, which included a previously disclosed one-time earnings per share reduction in the amount of $3.24 related to the company’s capital issuance in April. Excluding this one-time reduction, the company’s second quarter loss per common share was $3.34. This non-cash reduction in earnings per share, which resulted in a reclassification within stockholders’ equity, had no effect on the company’s capital ratios or the net loss recorded in the second quarter.