Brokerage firms operating on the New York Stock Exchange reported a loss for the fourth quarter, and the full year of 2007.

NYSE member firms that conduct business with the public reported a fourth quarter after-tax loss of $10.6 billion, on revenues of $88.2 billion. In the same quarter a year ago, they recorded $4.9 billion in after-tax profits on revenues of $93.4 billion. The fourth quarter loss follows a $2.5 billion loss in the prior quarter.

For the full year 2007, the firms reported an after-tax loss of $7.4 billion on record revenues of $352.1 billion, compared with an after-tax profit of $13.6 billion on revenues of $331.3 billion in 2006.

The data only counts NYSE member firms that conduct business with the public, including firms that trade primarily for their own account, but excluding specialists.