Corporate Profits Dropped Most Since 1953

WSJ reports:

U.S. corporate profits fell by $250 billion in the closing months of 2008, a staggering decline that many businesses are still struggling to offset.

Profits at corporations in the fourth quarter fell 16.5% from the previous quarter, the Commerce Department said Thursday. In the financial sector, profits fell by $178 billion -- and that figure doesn't reflect the industry's massive write-downs as the value of assets soured. The drop in pretax corporate profits was the steepest in 55 years. Compared with the same quarter in the previous year, the decline was more than 20%.

"It's horrendous," said Joshua Shapiro, chief U.S. economist at forecasting firm MFR Inc. in New York. "It destroys the ability of corporations to pay salaries, invest in equipment and do everything else that helps the economy grow."

Source: BEA