Federal prosecutors stepping up subprime probe: report

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Federal prosecutors have asked the Securities and Exchange Commission for information gathered from an investigation of Merrill Lynch & Co's activities in mortgage securities, The Wall Street Journal reported on Friday.

It was unclear whether the SEC had already handed over information to the Justice Department's U.S. attorney's office in Manhattan, the Journal said.

Merrill recorded about $24 billion in write-downs during the second half of last year, mostly because of its exposure to subprime mortgage-related assets.