WaMu Rating Lowered to Junk by S&P on Mortgage Losses (Ari Levy)

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WaMu

Sept. 15 (Bloomberg) -- Washington Mutual Inc., the biggest U.S. savings and loan, had its credit rating cut to junk by Standard & Poor's because of the deteriorating housing market.

S&P reduced its rating on Seattle-based WaMu to BB- from BBB-, leaving it three levels below investment grade, the ratings firm said today in a statement.

"Increasing market turmoil and the related impact from managing its concentrated mortgage franchise in this troubled housing and credit cycle led to the downgrade," S&P wrote. S&P cut its rating on the subsidiary bank to BBB- from BBB.

S&P followed similar announcements last week from Moody's Investors Service and Fitch Ratings. WaMu, which has reported $6.3 billion of losses in the last three quarters because of soured mortgages, said on Sept. 11 that it expects a third- quarter loan loss provision of $4.5 billion.

WaMu tumbled 73 cents, or 27 percent, to $2 at 4 p.m. on the New York Stock Exchange. The shares dropped another 20 cents, or 10 percent, to $1.80 in extended trading. They've lost 94 percent of their value in the past year.