at a worse time

[olegv]

Please explain to me the meaning of could not come at a worse time - Thank you


"UBS's admission that a rogue trader has run up losses of $2 billion could not come at a worse time for the bank or the industry."

[Gillnetter]

Please explain to me the meaning of could not come at a worse time - Thank you


"UBS's admission that a rogue trader has run up losses of $2 billion could not come at a worse time for the bank or the industry."

Things were bad for banks and for the financial industry. They were as bad as they could be - they couldn't get worse. This is an overstatement of course, things, the economic facts that the banks faced, could get worse. "Could not come at a worse time", is a common phrase - "They had six children when he lost his job, this loss could not have come at a worse time."