Business: Fatter Fees?

Ballots went out to the 1,346 members of the New York Stock Exchange last week to vote on whether the brokers should boost commissions an average 13%, the second hike in four years. The plan ran into immediate opposition from Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith, biggest brokerage house. The proposed increase, said Merrill Lynch's Managing Partner Michael McCarthy, discriminates against the small investor, who will pay 30% more on a $500 transaction. He argued that most brokers are getting an adequate return despite higher operating costs, since commission earnings of Wall Street houses after partners' compensation and expenses run an average of 10.1% before taxes. But most Wall Streeters thought the chances were better than even that commissions would go up by May 1.