Merrill Lynch reported record net earnings of US$5.2 billion in 2005, up 18% from US$4.4 billion in the prior year.

Record pretax earnings of US$7.4 billion represented an increase of 27% from 2004, on net revenues that grew 18% to US$26.0 billion, within 1% of the full-year revenue record the firm set in 2000. The 2005 pretax profit margin was a record 28.5%, up two percentage points from 2004, and the return on average common equity was 16.3%, up 1.4 percentage points.

All three of the firm’s business segments contributed to these results, each generating record pretax earnings and higher net revenues than in 2004, it reported.

The Global Markets & Investment Banking division’s net revenues were a record US$13.9 billion, up 25% from the prior year. Global Markets saw the stronger revenue growth, up 30% from 2004, while Investment Banking net revenues increased 12%. From a regional perspective, GMI’s non-U.S. franchise, and Europe in particular, generated strong growth.

The Global Private Client business produced record pretax earnings for both the fourth-quarter and full-year 2005, continuing to drive operating leverage through a strategy of revenue and product diversification, annuitization, client segmentation, growth in financial advisor headcount and investments to improve productivity. GPC also generated strong net inflows of both annuitized and total client assets. For the full-year, the retail business generated record pretax earnings of US$2.2 billion, up 16% from 2004.

Advisor headcount was 15,160 at year-end 2005, up 7% from the end of 2004, reflecting an increase during the fourth quarter of approximately 470 advisors through both recruiting and the acquisition of Advest. Turnover of top producing advisors remained at historical lows.

Merrill Lynch Investment Managers also produced record full-year pretax earnings as the business generated strong relative investment performance and improved net flows while continuing to focus on broadening distribution and maintaining operating discipline, it reported. For the full year 2005, its pretax earnings were a record US$586 million, up 27% from the prior-year period, on net revenues that grew 14%, to US$1.8 billion.

For the fourth quarter, overall net earnings increased 25% from the year-ago quarter to US$1.5 billion, and 9% sequentially. Compared to the year-ago quarter, fourth-quarter pretax earnings of US$2.2 billion increased 42%, on net revenues that grew 15% to US$6.8 billion. The pretax profit margin for the fourth quarter was a record 32.5%. Merrill Lynch notes that it generated these improved year-on-year results despite the fiscal fourth quarter of 2005 having one less week of operations than the 2004 fiscal period.

“We finished the year at Merrill Lynch on a very strong note, with a compelling revenue performance and record earnings for both the fourth quarter and the full year,” said Stan O’Neal, chairman and chief executive officer.

“Our performance underscores the increasing overall strength and balance of our franchise, which is the result of the investments we have been making throughout the company in people, technology and add-on acquisitions. We expect continued investment in our businesses to enhance our prospects for additional, profitable growth in the coming years,” he added.