The largest provision is another installment in the broadband investments discussed previously.
This is the largest provision against bad debts that the bank has ever taken and shocked analysts said it was the first time in memory that the bank had released material information ahead of its results release.
Last autumn it announced large provisions for loan losses, and several executives left or were sacked.
"Most US and European global investment banks have set aside large provisions for future litigation costs," said Moody's.
Head of UK banking Steve Pateman said Santander had also been forced to make larger provisions over possible problems with a complicated insurance product.
He cited the Reserve Bank of India, which in 2005 began requiring banks to make larger provisions against losses from property loans, among other things.
Lucent largely attributed the profit warning to shrinking revenue at its fiberoptic equipment and Internet-switching operations, in addition to larger provisions for questionable debts from companies that have received financing from Lucent to purchase its equipment.
Spain's strict regulations require banks to keep large provisions to cover bad loans and they also discouraged them from buying the toxic financial products that prompted the collapse of banks elsewhere.
Fertilized (female) eggs were found on significantly larger provisions (in dry weight and volume) than were male eggs (Zweight = 5.10— p < 0.0001; n = 96; Zvolume = 4.75— p < 0.0001; n = 96; Table 1).
To the east was the Macellum, or large provision market.
