<ARTICLE>                               BD
<LEGEND>         


                     THE BEAR STEARNS COMPANIES INC.
                         FINANCIAL DATA SCHEDULE
                               (UNAUDITED)
                    (In thousands, except share data)

This  schedule  contains  summary  financial   information  extracted  from  the
unaudited  Consolidated  Statement of Financial  Condition at March 26, 1999 and
the unaudited  Consolidated  Statement of Income for the nine-months ended March
26, 1999, which are contained in the body of the  accompanying  Form 10-Q and is
qualified in its entirety by reference to such financial statements.

</LEGEND>                    
<MULTIPLIER>                                   1,000
       
                                           
<PERIOD-TYPE>                                 9-MOS
<FISCAL-YEAR-END>                             JUN-30-1999
<PERIOD-END>                                  MAR-26-1999
<CASH>                                            925,652
<RECEIVABLES>                                  19,031,879
<SECURITIES-RESALE>                            43,331,086
<SECURITIES-BORROWED>                          48,869,646
<INSTRUMENTS-OWNED>                            48,341,770
<PP&E>                                            478,619
<TOTAL-ASSETS>                                166,645,374
<SHORT-TERM>                                   12,157,533
<PAYABLES>                                     43,417,956
<REPOS-SOLD>                                   59,520,069
<SECURITIES-LOANED>                                     0
<INSTRUMENTS-SOLD>                             24,874,626
<LONG-TERM>                                    14,355,505
<PREFERRED-MANDATORY>                                   0
<PREFERRED>                                       800,000
<COMMON>                                          176,161
<OTHER-SE>                                      3,512,919
<TOTAL-LIABILITY-AND-EQUITY>                  166,645,374
<TRADING-REVENUE>                               1,216,361
<INTEREST-DIVIDENDS>                            3,001,121
<COMMISSIONS>                                     740,607
<INVESTMENT-BANKING-REVENUES>                     514,400
<FEE-REVENUE>                                           0
<INTEREST-EXPENSE>                              2,539,402
<COMPENSATION>                                  1,552,919
<INCOME-PRETAX>                                   633,718
<INCOME-PRE-EXTRAORDINARY>                        633,718
<EXTRAORDINARY>                                         0
<CHANGES>                                               0
<NET-INCOME>                                      403,995
<EPS-PRIMARY>                                        2.63
<EPS-DILUTED>                                        2.63