Is Merrill Lynch like BearStearns in that they have losses tied to selling subprime CDO"s to their investors?

This is the fully worded Q that would not fit the Q -box: Is Merrill Lynch like Bear Stearns in they that they are another investment-wall street stock broker that participated in selling risky subprime CDO's to their investors for fat fees?
(note: CDO is the acronym for Collateralized Debt Obligations)

I ask the Q after seeing this news blurb: MERRILL SEEN POSTING 1Q LOSS ON WRITE-DOWNS

Oppenheimer analyst Meredith Whitney now sees Merrill writing down $6 billion and posting a $3 per share loss in its 1Q, and BernsteinResearch analyst Brad Hintz expects $4.5 billion in write-downs and a loss of $1.60 per share..

I have to note in connection to the informative answer to my Q, a beautifully explained answer, that we do NOT hear about Japanse or Middle East banks(fat on oil profits) going bust like here and in Europe! Ther must be a difference in philosophy or other elements at work.

I suspect that most, if not all, of those firms were involved to some degree in all those exotic "investments" that are causing so much trouble. Even the wiser firms that were skeptical and didn't want to were likely pretty much forced to because the others were doing it and (for awhile) they were profitable.

Avoiding that stuff would clearly have been the wise approach in the long-term, but would have meant less profits in the short-term. Since bonuses (and to a large extent stock price and therefore stock options value) are tied to short-term performance, there was significant incentive to participate for the short-term profits regardless of the long-term risk.

I read & voted for your A for BA after expiration. Bec of it,I have asked this Q separately: Is the herd mentality & greed-driven behaviors of producers,consumers & middlemen, based on Short-term, selfish goals ruining society & the planet? Report It