Dan Whalen

Bear, Stearns & Co., Inc. is a global investment banking, securities trading and brokerage firm located in New York City with additional offices in Dallas, Boston and San Francisco. The firm is a subsidiary Bear Sterns Cos., Inc. (NYSE: BSC). Their equity research team consists of senior analysts located throughout the world. In addition to domestic coverage, they have research teams focusing on Latin America, Asia and Europe. The analysts use a bottom-up approach to stock selection. The Bear Stearns fixed-income research department provides coverage of every sector of the fixed-income universe. The financial analytics and structured transactions group (F.A.S.T) provides investment research, fixed-income portfolio management and analytical systems, trading technology and general financial expertise. The group also provides a broad range of services to financial institutions including asset-liability management, balance sheet restructuring, receivables-based financing analysis, security and portfolio analysis, peer analysis, and historical and real-time market-based information.

Founded in 2004, Cowen Securities is an investment banking firm and broker/dealer headquartered in New York City. The firm is a subsidiary of the Cowen Group. They were formerly known as Dahlman Rose & Co. Cowen Securities provides value-added research, trading and advisory services to clients in the US and abroad. The firm focuses on growth industries that are the direct beneficiaries of global trade, infrastructure development and urbanization. Their research focuses on various distinct verticals within the global natural resources supply chain including: metals/mining, agriculture, chemicals, oil & gas exploration and production, electric utilities and surface transportation. Cowen Securities follows a variety of companies across geographies, market-caps and strategies. The firm employs a top-down approach that focuses on global themes and macro trends within these sectors. They look for drivers that create opportunities for well-positioned companies.

Founded in 1995, Capstone Investments is a broker/dealer headquartered in San Diego, California with an additional office in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The firm provides a full range of institutional services including, investment banking, research, deal origination and capital introduction services. They provide fundamental research and investment opinions to their clients primarily on small- to mid-cap companies.

Founded in 1932 by Harold C. Brown, Harold C. Brown & Co. LLC is a registered investment advisor located in Buffalo, New York. Their clients include high net-worth individuals, trust funds, estates, retirement and pension plans, corporations, charitable and religious organizations, hospitals and educational institutions.

In 1915 Charles Edward Merrill founded Merrill Lynch & Co. (NYSE: MER) with Edmund C. Lynch in Baltimore, Maryland. The modern Merrill Lynch was formed in 1940 through mergers with E.A. Pierce & Cassatt and, soon after, Fenner & Beane. In 1973, Merrill Lynch adopted a holding company format, with Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc. as the parent and Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith as the operating subsidiary. Merrill Lynch Asset Management, Inc. (MLAM) was created as an integral business unit in the Merrill Lynch family in 1976. Fund Asset Management, doing business as Mercury Asset Management, was acquired in December 1997. In 2000, MLAM and Mercury were combined under the name Merrill Lynch Investment Managers. MLAM manages the Merrill Lynch family of mutual funds, as and acts as sub-advisor to other mutual funds.

Auriga USA is a broker/dealer located in New York City. Their research focuses on the semiconductors, information technology and health services sectors.

Founded in 2010, Topeka Capital Markets is a brokerage firm located in New York City. Topeka provides a broad set of solutions to meet an expanding spectrum of client needs. They offer a wide array of services including: (1) domestic and international equity trading strategy and execution (2) equity derivative and trading strategies (3) real-time execution cost analysis (4) corporate buybacks (5) program and algorithmic strategies (6) pre- and post-trade analytics (7) transition management (8) commission management (9) corporate access services and (10) institutional equity research. Topeka Capital Markets' institutional equity research focuses on macroeconomic research, strategic research, technical research, commodity research, fundamental sector and company specific research and specialty research services.