Bank of America CEO insists he won't need more help

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In a memorandum sent to employees on Friday, Bank of America (NYSE: BAC) CEO Ken Lewis dismissed rumors of nationalization and said that the company would not need any more government assistance: "Bank of America does not need any further assistance today, and I am confident we will not need any further assistance in the future. I believe our company has more than enough capital, liquidity, and earnings power to make it through this downturn on our own from here on out."

You can't blame Lewis for trying to rally the troops, but you can question the wisdom of making such bold statements at a time of tremendous upheaval in the markets: Lewis' crystal ball has been so hopeless ineffective in the past that it's hard to know how he can make statements like "we will not need any further assistance" with such confidence. If you'd asked him about requiring any assistance at any time a year ago, he probably would have laughed in your face. Before employees or shareholders put too much faith in Lewis' predictions, they should consider the fact that it's been a long time since he has been right about anything.

By going around making these statements, Lewis could be subjecting himself and his company to considerable legal risks if he is in fact wrong about the company's financial health and ability to survive without more welfare.

Lewis said that the company's trading business is "vastly improved" compared to the fourth quarter, and said that customer service and consumer confidence in Bank of America remain strong. That would seem to be a good omen, but there's still far too much uncertainty for a guy as discredited as Lewis to be tossing around blanket statements of reassurance.

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Last updated: February 10, 2010: 08:30 AM

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