MBIA 2nd-qtr profit rises on gain

NEW YORK (Reuters) - MBIA Inc (MBI.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) posted a quarterly profit of $1.7 billion on Friday due to an accounting change that turned credit problems into a big gain, but the world's largest bond insurer said it is having trouble winning new business since losing its top debt ratings.

Results topped Wall Street estimates, and shares climbed as much as 14 percent on the New York Stock Exchange.

MBIA also recorded $742 million in one-time losses on bonds it sold or plans to sell in an investment portfolio.

Chief Executive Jay Brown said on a conference call he could not say when MBIA would again be in a position to write new business.

The company, like others in the industry, is retrenching after large losses.

Like smaller rival Ambac Financial Group Inc (ABK.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz), MBIA plans to return to its roots of guaranteeing municipal bonds, after being burned insuring repackaged mortgages and other debt in a bid to diversify and boost profits.

After MBIA lost its top debt ratings in June, the company was seen as less likely to pay its insurance contracts or credit derivative obligations, and they lost value in the market.

As the fair value of its obligations declined, the company recorded about $3 billion in accounting-related gains, giving quarterly net income a boost. Ambac reported it benefited from similar gains earlier this week.

Armonk, New York-based MBIA said it did not need to take any unusual write-downs on credit derivatives or increases in loss reserves in the second quarter, but was prepared to do so if market conditions worsened.  Continued...