FACTBOX: Countrywide's Mozilo stayed bullish to end

Financial Corp (CFC.N: Quote, Profile, Research) Chief Executive Angelo Mozilo remained confident of long-term success for his company, even as the U.S. mortgage crisis spread and his company's shares plunged 86 percent since last February.
Following are quotations from Mozilo in 2007.
March 13. Mozilo is interviewed on CNBC television: "This is now becoming a liquidity crisis, an unnecessary one. There's been a rush to judgment, an overreaction, a baby out with the bath water." He said the winnowing of competitors could allow Countrywide, the largest U.S. mortgage lender, to pick up market share.
April 26. Mozilo again said Countrywide would be one of the survivors, while weak rivals with "irresponsible" loan standards would be forced out. Consolidation has been "more rapid than I've ever seen, and steeper than I've ever seen. As a result, you have less competition ... and rational competition."
May 14. Countrywide says it plans to add 2,000 sales jobs: "The market is undergoing very turbulent times. Our competition continues to consolidate, and consolidate rapidly."
May 21. Mozilo disavows blame for the subprime crisis at a mortgage banking industry conference: "You've got to be careful here about blaming ourselves too much."
Aug 23. Bank of America (BAC.N: Quote, Profile, Research) invests $2 billion in Countrywide: "We've gone it alone for 40 years and can go it alone for another 40 years."
Sept 7. Countrywide says it will cut up to 12,000 jobs or 20 percent of its work force: "We have taken decisive action to ensure that the company continues to be well-positioned for further success."
October 23. In a statement concerning sales of Countrywide stock and a review by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, as reported by The Wall Street Journal): "I would like to state categorically that at no time did I make any trading decisions on material, nonpublic information and that I fully complied with all applicable securities laws."
December 3. In an interview on CNBC, Mozilo said he is not in talks with Bank of America for a further cash infusion: "Countrywide is a strong, viable financial company."

source: www.reuters.com/article/mergersNews/idUSN1129058920080111