Banc of America Securities-Merrill Lynch Research Dominates Leading Surveys
NEW YORK, May 20 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ --
The Research organization of Bank of America and Merrill Lynch has significantly outperformed all of its
competitors in client polls and research forecasting awards since the two platforms were integrated earlier this
year.
To date, Banc of America Securities-Merrill Lynch Research has earned a global award, 11 regional awards
and 157 individual analyst awards, clearly demonstrating the power of the combined platform. Highlights of the
company's 2009 Research rankings include:
-- Top Global Broker - Financial Times/StarMine
-- Top U.S. Broker - Financial Times/StarMine
-- Number 2 European Broker - Financial Times/StarMine
-- Best Brokerage - Forbes/Zacks; captured more than twice the
awards of the runner-up
-- Seven out of 12 analysts named to Forbes/Zacks "Dazzling Dozen"
-- Number 2 - Institutional Investor All-Europe Research Team;
Number 1 Pan-European Coverage
-- Number 3 - Institutional Investor All-Emerging Europe Research
Team
-- Number 1 in the U.S., Number 2 in Asia Pacific (ex-Japan) and
Latin America, and Number 3 in Developed Europe - Financial
Times/StarMine broker rankings for earnings forecasts
Candace Browning, president of Banc of America Securities-Merrill Lynch Global Research, commented:
"These awards display the power of our combined franchise and clearly differentiate us from the rest of the
industry. Our superb rankings are a testament to the excellence and dedication of our analysts and are
particularly meaningful in a year of unprecedented change in the global markets and in the financial services
industry."
The goal of Banc of America Securities-Merrill Lynch Research is to be the premier global research
franchise, providing clients with exceptional service, value-added investment insights and alpha-generating
investment recommendations. Since January 2009, Banc of America Securities-Merrill Lynch Global Research
has hired over 35 analysts globally. The Research team provides recommendations on nearly 3,000 equity
securities and 850 corporate bond issuers. The group also provides economic forecasts for approximately 60
countries and recommendations on 40 currencies.
Steve Haggerty, head of Banc of America Securities-Merrill Lynch Americas Equity Research, said: "The
survey results make it clear that we are extremely well positioned in a highly competitive market environment.
For us, these awards serve as a further incentive to our analysts to continue to evolve their research products
and recommendations to better serve our clients."
StarMine and Zacks Investment Research are independent firms that measure the performance of brokers
and analysts over sets of stocks in two areas: the returns of buy/sell recommendations and the accuracy of
earnings estimates. The 2009 Financial Times/StarMine survey results are based on the 2008 calendar year.
The Forbes/Zacks survey results reflect the stock picking period from March 31, 2006 through March 31,
2009, and the earnings estimation period from the last three fiscal years of the specific stocks covered by each
analyst.
The Institutional Investor 2009 All-Europe Research team survey results are based on responses from more
than 1,300 money managers at 541 institutions managing an estimated $6 trillion in European equities, and
cover the time period March 2008 through February 2009. The Institutional Investor 2009 Emerging EMEA
Research team survey results are based on responses from nearly 300 investors at more than 220 firms
managing an estimated $226 billion in emerging EMEA equities, and cover the time period March 2008
through February 2009.
Bank of America
Bank of America is one of the world's largest financial institutions, serving individual consumers, small- and
middle-market businesses and large corporations with a full range of banking, investing, asset management
and other financial and risk management products and services. The company provides unmatched
convenience in the United States, serving approximately 55 million consumer and small business relationships
with more than 6,100 retail banking offices, more than 18,500 ATMs and award-winning online banking with
nearly 30 million active users. Bank of America is among the world's leading wealth management companies
and is a global leader in corporate and investment banking and trading across a broad range of asset classes
serving corporations, governments, institutions and individuals around the world. Bank of America offers
industry-leading support to more than 4 million small business owners through a suite of innovative, easy-to-
use online products and services. The company serves clients in more than 150 countries. Bank of America
Corporation stock (NYSE: BAC) is a component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average and is listed on the New
York Stock Exchange.
"Bank of America Merrill Lynch" is the marketing name for the global banking and global markets
businesses of Bank of America Corporation. Lending, derivatives, and other commercial banking activities are
performed by banking affiliates of Bank of America Corporation, including Bank of America, N.A., member
FDIC. Securities, financial advisory, and other investment banking activities are performed by investment
banking affiliates of Bank of America Corporation ("Investment Banking Affiliates"), including Banc of America
Securities LLC, and Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, which are both registered broker-
dealers and members of FINRA and SIPC. Investment products offered by Investment Banking Affiliates: Are
Not FDIC Insured * May Lose Value * Are Not Bank Guaranteed.
SOURCE: Banc of America Securities-Merrill Lynch Research
CONTACT: Susan McCabe Walley,
Bank of America,
+1-212-449-0389,
susan_mccabe@ml.com
(BAC)
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