Merrill board weighs fate of CEO

By Tim McLaughlin

NEW YORK (Reuters) - As Merrill Lynch & Co Inc's (MER.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) board deliberates the fate of Chairman and Chief Executive Stan O'Neal, a leading contender for the job on Sunday said he is not aware of being a candidate.

Meanwhile, Merrill's board has reached a broad consensus to remove O'Neal as chairman and CEO, The New York Times reported on Sunday. Merrill Lynch declined comment. The newspaper said details remain to be worked out, including who will take over and what the timing of O'Neal's departure will be.

The Wall Street Journal also reported that O'Neal has decided to leave. He was not immediately available for comment.

O'Neal's grip on the top job weakened after the company posted its biggest quarterly loss in the 93-history of the company. Last week, the company's third-quarter results showed a $2.3 billion loss after writing down $8.4 billion in assets, mostly because of bad bets related to risky subprime loans.

The company's stock surged 8.5 percent on Friday after reports said O'Neal, 56, would be replaced.

Candidates include Larry Fink, the CEO of asset manager BlackRock Inc. and Robert McCann, who oversees Merrill's 16,600 brokers. Merrill Lynch star investment banker Greg Fleming also may have an important role in a new regime, according to people familiar with the situation.

Fink told Reuters on Sunday that he is not aware of being a candidate for O'Neal's job.

"How would I know if I am a candidate," Fink said when reached by telephone at his home. "You would know better than me. I am a happy CEO of BlackRock."