Joseph Allen

Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC (Credit Suisse Securities USA) is the broker/dealer division of Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC, an investment banking company headquartered in New York City. The firm was founded in 1998 and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Credit Suisse (USA), Inc., ultimately owned by Credit Suisse Group AG (SWX: CSGN) in Switzerland. Credit Suisse Securities USA offers a suite of equities, solutions and credit products and services which includes global securities sales, trading and execution, prime brokerage and comprehensive investment research. Their clients include financial institutions, corporations, governments, institutional investors, such as pension funds and hedge funds, and private individuals around the world.

BlackRock Advisors LLC is a SEC-registered investment advisor and mutual fund manager headquartered in New York City. The firm was founded in 1994 and is a subsidiary of BlackRock Capital Holdings, Inc., ultimately held by BlackRock, Inc. (NYSE: BLK). BlackRock Advisors manages assets for US-registered investment companies and 529 Plans.

TIAA-CREF Investment Management LLC (TCIM) is a registered investment advisor headquartered in New York City. The firm was founded in 1997 and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of TIAA-CREF Asset Management LLC, ultimately owned by TIAA Board of Governors. TCIM provides investment management and certain administrative services necessary for the operation of the College Retirement Equities Fund (CREF), a diversified open-end registered investment management company that consists of eight accounts, that issues individual, group and tax-deferred variable annuity contracts.

Deutsche Bank Securities, Inc. (DBSI) is a SEC-registered broker/dealer headquartered in New York City. The firm was founded in 1971 and is a wholly-owned investment banking and brokerage arm of DB U.S. Financial Markets Holding Corp., ultimately held by Deutsche Bank AG (NYSE: DB, FRA: DBK) in Germany. DBSI provides securities brokerage and investment advisory services to domestic and international private clients and institutions. They are also a primary dealer in US government securities as designated by the Federal Reserve.

Nomura Securities Co., Ltd. (NSC) is a wholly-owned brokerage subsidiary of Nomura Holdings, Inc. (TSE: 8604; NYSE: NMR). Headquartered in Tokyo, the firm was founded in 1925. NSC places a strong emphasis on research, both fundamental and quantitative. In addition to stock and bond underwriting, their activities include IPO and M&A advisory, wealth management, separately managed accounts, fund wrap services, prime brokerage and structured equity finance. Their clients include institutions, hedge funds, private banks and private equity funds as well as corporate clients and retail investors.

UBS Securities LLC is an investment bank and registered broker/dealer headquartered in New York City. The firm was founded in 1998 as UBS Warburg LLC. They are a subsidiary of UBS Americas Holding LLC, ultimately held by UBS Group AG (SWX: UBSG, NYSE: UBS) in Switzerland. UBS Securities is a primary dealer in US Government securities and provides a full range of investment banking services which includes corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions, capital markets, trading and sales, fixed-income, equity research, private banking, underwriting and prime brokerage operations. The firm also provides advisory services and access to capital markets for corporate, institutional, intermediary and alternative asset management clients.

Founded in 1972 by Candace King, C.L. King & Associates, Inc. is a self-clearing, service-oriented broker/dealer and investment bank located in Albany, New York with additional offices in Boston and New York City. The firm delivers investment research, equity and fixed-income sales and trading, prime brokerage, investment advisor and clearing services to institutional and high net-worth clients and to other broker/dealers. For corporations, they underwrite securities and provide strategic advice in connection with mergers, acquisitions, strategic alternatives and valuation. C.L. King & Associates is a member of FINRA and the SIPC. C.L. King & Associates follows 120 names in 9 sectors. They seek to discover uncovered investment opportunities by seeking out companies that may be ignored by other Wall Street research providers and by identifying value and growth that may be unrecognized by institutional equity investors. The firm provides comprehensive trading services including capital commitment, market making and listed block positioning for their institutional equity clients. C.L. King & Associates' fixed-income group focuses on trading fixed-income securities, primarily in the secondary market. They offer a broad cross section of agencies, convertibles, investment-grade corporates, mortgage-backed securities, municipals, CDs and preferred stock to other broker/Dealers and institutional investors. The firm's investment banking group provides strategic M&A advice and capital raising services to emerging and mid-cap companies, both public and private. In addition, they act as a WBE underwriter in stock and bond offerings by large corporate issuers. C.L. King & Associates' corporate services group offers specialized services to assist corporate clients and their executives in handling delicate stock holding matters. Their services include guiding clients through restricted stock/rule 144 transactions, developing customized rule 10b5-1 trading plans and managing corporate share repurchase programs. The firm's equity research is based on a fundamental, value-oriented approach that focuses on small- and mid-cap companies. The firm offers research on the following sectors: special situations, building materials companies, specialty retail/apparel/footwear, industrials/cyclicals, restaurants/franchising, business services/staffing companies, telecommunications equipment and medical technology/devices/supplies.

Founded in 1993, Auerbach Grayson & Co. LLC is a broker/dealer/located in New York City. The firm is a subsidiary of Auerbach Grayson Holdings LLC. Through their worldwide network of broker partners, the firm offers research, execution and clearance in equities, derivatives and fixed-income instruments. They also provide and implements hedging and arbitrage strategies. Auerbach Grayson & Co. is a member of FINRA and the SIPC. They employ bottom-up research to identify undervalued, under-represented and misunderstood companies. The firm covers a broad range of small-cap, mid-cap and emerging market equities.

Credit Agricole Securities (USA), Inc. (Credit Agricole Securities USA) is a full service broker-dealer headquartered in New York City. The firm was founded in 2004 and formerly known as Calyon Securities USA, Inc. and Credit Lyonnais Securities, Inc. They are a subsidiary of Crédit Agricole Global Partners, Inc., which is owned by Rue la Boétie SAS’s Credit Agricole SA (EPA: ACA) in France. Credit Agricole Securities USA provides investors’ customized solutions to ensure they achieve their execution objectives in the tradition of service excellence and product innovation.

JPMorgan Securities LLC (JPMS) is a securities brokerage firm headquartered in New York City. The firm was founded in 1985 and is a subsidiary of JPMorgan Broker-Dealer Holdings, Inc., ultimately held by JPMorgan Chase & Co., Inc. (NYSE: JPM). JPMS provides research on fixed income, credit, derivatives, emerging markets, foreign exchange, structured finance, technical analysis and bond indices. Their equity analysts cover equities throughout North America, EMEA, Asia/Pacific and the emerging markets. The firm's fixed income team formulates trading and portfolio recommendations for investors in global bonds and other fixed-income markets based on valuations, analytics and market dynamics.

Founded in 1985, NatWest Markets Securities, Inc. is a financial services and brokerage firm headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut. The firm is a subsidiary of RBS Holdings USA, Inc. and their ultimate parent is the Royal Bank of Scotland Plc (LSE: RBS). The firm was formerly known as RBS Securities, Inc., RBS Greenwich Capital, and Greenwich Capital Markets, Inc. NatWest is an institutional fixed-income firm that provides a full range of debt capital markets services to both those seeking to raise capital and those seeking to invest it. The firm is an industry leader in the U.S. Treasury, agency and MBS markets and in providing real estate and asset-backed financing to their clients. NatWest also provides futures brokerage services and trade strategies to select clients.

Salutaris Medical Devices, Inc. operates as a clinical-stage medical device company. It develops minimally invasive, patient-centric treatments. The firm also develops an investigational ophthalmic treatment for Wet Age-related Macular Degeneration (Wet AMD). The company was founded by Russell J. Hamilton and Laurence J. Marsteller in 2008 and is headquartered in Tucson, AZ.

Harvard University engages in the provision of teaching and research. It has twelve degree-granting Schools in addition to the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, offering a global education. The university was founded in 1636 and is headquartered in Cambridge, MA.

Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC (GS&Co.) is a securities brokerage firm headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1927, the firm is a subsidiary of The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (NYSE: GS). GS&Co. provides services to help hedge funds manage risk, monitor portfolios, maintain liquidity and build their businesses. They offer clients access to global equity and derivatives markets, as well as foreign exchange, commodities, European Lefts, rates and credit across the Americas, Europe and Asia. The firm proactively monitors capital markets, searching for pockets of liquidity and news that may require changes to those strategies. Integration with the Goldman Sachs network gives clients access to the firm's sectored block trades and their insights into price discovery. Their electronic trading program provides clients with tools to manage their trades from pre-trade analytics to post-trade analysis.

Cicero Capital Partners LLC provides investment advice. The company is based in Columbia, MD and has subsidiaries in the United States. The company was founded in 2009 by Robert Karl Grunewald. Robert Walter Neighoff has been the CEO of the company since 2011.

Cornell University is an educational institution that offers undergraduate and post graduate programs. It was founded in 1865 and is based in Ithaca, NY.

BNP Paribas Asset Management USA, Inc. (BNPP AM USA) is a registered investment advisor headquartered in New York City. The firm was founded in 1972 as Fischer Francis Trees & Watts, Inc. (FFTW). In 2015, FFTW’s affiliated US registered investment advisor, BNP Paribas Asset Management Inc., was merged into FFTW. FFTW was re-branded as BNP Paribas Asset Management USA, Inc. in 2017. The firm is a wholly-owned subsidiary of BNP Paribas Asset Management USA Holdings, Inc. (BNPP AM), part of International Financial Services division of BNP Paribas (EPA: BNP) (BNPP). BNPP AM USA provides customized investment management services to institutional clients. They also provide non-discretionary investment management activities and/or act as collateral manager for structured products such as CDOs and CLOs.

RBC Capital Markets LLC is a full-service brokerage and financial services firm headquartered in New York City. They are a direct subsidiary of RBC USA Holdco Corp. and a wholly-owned indirect subsidiary of Royal Bank of Canada (TSE, NYSE: RY). Founded in 2010, the firm is comprised of 3 major business lines: the Private Client Group, the Fixed-Income Group and the Clearing and Execution Services Group. The Private Client Group serves individual investors, while the Fixed-Income Group provides services to institutions, municipalities and non-profit organizations. The Clearing and Execution Services Group is a provider of clearing and execution services to independent brokers/dealers throughout the US. RBC Capital Markets focuses on the following sectors: communications, media, consumer/retail, diversified industries, energy, financial institutions, forest products, healthcare, infrastructure finance, mining & metals, real estate, social infrastructure, technology and the US municipal markets.

Moody's Investors Service, Inc. is a credit rating and investment research firm headquartered in New York City. They are a subsidiary of Moody's Corp. (NYSE: MCO). The firm performs international financial research and analysis on commercial and government entities and provides a variety of analytic tools for assessing credit risk. Their clients include creditors, investment banks and commercial banks.

Founded in 2009 by Antonio Cacorino and Fredrick Chapey, StormHarbour Securities LP is an independent full-service broker/dealer headquartered in New York City with additional offices in London, Singapore, Hong Kong and Geneva. The firm is a subsidiary of StormHarbour Partners LP. StormHarbour Securities focuses on distribution, client solutions and capital markets and has extensive experience in the fixed-income credit and alternatives markets. Their services include execution, sourcing/distribution, primary and secondary, reverse inquiry and buy-backs and full asset/capital structure coverage. StormHarbour Securities' clients include hedge funds/other asset managers, banks/insurance companies, pensions. endowments, SWFs, GSEs and other international financial groups. StormHarbour Securities' credit products include: investment grade corporates, high yield, distressed, convertibles and emerging markets. Their securitized products include: ABS (vanilla and exotic), RMBS (prime, alt-A and sub-prime), CMBS, CDOs, CLOs and synthetic structures.

American Capital Asset Management LLC (American Capital) is a private equity firm founded in 1986 by Malon Wilkus. The firm is headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland.

Standard & Poor's Investment Advisory Services LLC (SPIAS) is investment research firm and registered investment advisor headquartered in New York City. The firm is a wholly-owned subsidiary of S&P Global, Inc. (NYSE: SPGI), formerly McGraw Hill Financial, Inc. SPIAS’ advisory services are generally offered to institutions (e.g., broker-dealers, investment advisers, investment companies and other financial institutions). SPIAS does not generally provide its advisory services directly to retail clients, but its services may be used by its clients in advising their own underlying clients, which may include retail clients. SPIAS also provides advisory consulting services to institutional clients and investment managers-of-investment funds, and investment sub-advisory services for registered investment companies, including open-end mutual funds and other institutions. S&P Global's operations consist of three reportable segments: S&P Global Ratings, S&P Global Platts, and S&P Dow Jones Indices. S&P Global Ratings is an independent provider of credit ratings, research and analytics to investors, issuers and market participants. It includes the NRSRO and certain other ratings-related businesses. S&P Global Platts provides essential price data, analytics, and industry insight that enable commodities markets to perform with greater transparency and efficiency. S&P Dow Jones Indices is a global index provider that maintains a wide variety of indices to meet an array of investor needs. In 2016, CFRA acquired S&P Global Market Intelligence’s Equity and Fund Research business (formerly known as S&P Capital IQ and SNL) from S&P Global, Inc.

Barclays Capital, Inc. is a registered broker/dealer headquartered in New York City. The firm was founded in 1997 and is a subsidiary of Barclays Group US, Inc., ultimately owned by Barclays plc (LON: BARC) in Great Britain. Barclays Capital provides large corporate, government and institutional clients a full spectrum of prime brokerage services which includes equities and fixed income financing, OTC Clearing, Futures and Foreign Exchange Prime Brokerage and access to industry insights and analytics from their Strategic Consulting team.

Magnetar Capital LLC is an alternative asset manager headquartered in Evanston, Illinois. The firm was founded by Alec Litowitz and Ross Laser in 2005 and is a subsidiary of Magnetar Capital Partners LP. Magnetar Capital provides investment solutions to a wide range of investors.

Telecheck International, Inc. provides check guarantee and information processing services. Its services include check acceptance and verification for transactions that occur at the point of sale for merchants and financial institutions. The company was founded in 1964 and is headquartered in Houston, TX.

Hudson Bay Capital Management LP (Hudson Bay Capital) is an independent, SEC-registered investment advisor and hedge fund manager headquartered in New York City. The firm was founded by Sander Gerber and Yoav Roth in 2005. Hudson Bay Capital provides investment management services on a discretionary basis to privately offered investment vehicles. The Fund investors generally consist of institutions, “funds of funds” and high net-worth families and individuals.