Ambac can't bring itself to say the B-word

Shares of Ambac Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE: ABK) are down nearly 40% today after the company reported results the street deemed abysmal, even by the low standards that have been set for this once-proud company. The company lost 2.4312 billion dollars -- but apparently it was too humiliating to put it that way. So the result is a ludicrous press release headline that reads Ambac Financial Group, Inc. Announces Third Quarter Net Loss of $2,431.2 Million.

Mark-to-market losses on credit derivatives amounted to $2,705.2 million with a smattering of gains and losses in others categories making up the remainder.

I understand that reason behind using the $2,431 million figure: in the company's balance sheet and income statement, figures are quoted in millions. But for the headline of the press release, it's a little weird to stick with that format: telling investors "We lost two-thousand four-hundred million dollars!" does not exactly inspire confidence.

Moody's announced on September 18th that is reviewing the company for a possible downgrade and the deterioration in the economy since then would not seem to bode well for the company's future. There could be many more thousands of millions in losses to come.