Merrill Lynch
| Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc. <tr><td colspan="2" style="text-align:center; padding:16px 0 16px 0;"> | |
| Type | Public (NYSE: MER, TYO: 8675 ) |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1914, as Charles E. Merrill & Co. |
| Headquarters | New York, NY, U.S. <tr><th style="text-align:right; padding-right:0.75em;">Key people</th><td>Stan O'Neal: CEO, President & Chairman of the Board |
Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc., through its subsidiaries and affiliates, primarily Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner and Smith Incorporated, provides capital markets services, investment banking and advisory services, wealth management, asset management, insurance, banking and related products and services on a global basis. The firm's global headquarters are located in New York City and it is one of the most recognizable names in financial services. The company occupies the entire 34 stories of the Four World Financial Center building in Manhattan.
Contents |
History
The company was founded on January 6, 1914, when Charles E. Merrill & Co. opened for business at 7 Wall Street in New York City. A few months later, Merrill's friend, Edmund C. Lynch, joined him and in 1915 the name was officially changed to Merrill Lynch & Co. In 1916, Winthrop H. Smith joined the firm. He ran the firm from 1940 until his death in 1961 and the partnership honored his leadership by placing his name on the firm: Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith, Inc in 1958.
Merrill Lynch rose to prominence on the strength of its brokerage network (15,000+ as of 2006)[1], sometimes referred to as the "thundering herd," that allowed it to place securities it underwrote directly.[2] In contrast, many established Wall Street firms, such as Morgan Stanley, relied on selling groups of independent brokers for placement of the securities they underwrote.[3] Until as late as 1970, it was known as the "Catholic" firm of Wall Street.[4] The firm went public in 1971 and has since become a multinational corporation with over US $1.8 trillion in client assets operating in more than 40 countries around the world. In 1978, it significantly buttressed its securities underwriting business by acquiring White Weld & Co., a small but prestigious old-line investment bank. Merrill Lynch is best known for its Global Private Client services and its strong sales force.
Business groups
- GPC: Global Private Client
- GMI: Global Markets & Investment Banking Group
- MLIM: Merrill Lynch Investment Managers/BlackRock, Inc.
- Corporate Resources
- Global Securities Research and Economics Group (Research)
- GIS: Global Infrastructure Solutions
- OGC: Office of General Counsel
- C&PA: Communications and Public Affairs
- CFO: Chief Financial Office
- LTM: Leadership & Talent Management (formally Human Resources)
Subsidiaries
- Financial Data Services, Inc., transfer agency
- Merrill Lynch Europe PLC, soon to be rolled up into Merrill Lynch International
- Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated (PFS)
- Merrill Lynch Bank & Trust & Federal Savings Bank (MLBTFSB, as of July 2006)
- Merrill Lynch International (MLI)
- Merrill Lynch Government Securities, Inc (GSI)
- Merill Lynch Japan (MLJ), soon to be rolled up into Merrill Lynch International
- Merrill Lynch Canada (MLC), soon to be rolled up into Merrill Lynch International
Internal Professional Networks
The Merrill Lynch Professional Networks (MLPN) are employee-driven, local networks, organized regionally both across and within business groups. The objectives include diversifing business development, recruitment and retention, and community leadership. Not all networks are available at all Merrill Lynch office locations. Out of the 9 listed networks, Women's Professional Network has by far the most members and is the most active.
- Asian Pacific American Professional Network
- South Asian Professional Network
- Black Professional Network
- Disability Awareness Professional Network
- Hispanic Professional Network
- LGBT Professional Network
- Native American Professional Network
- Women's Professional Network
- Rainbow Professional Network
Major locations
- New York City, New York, U.S., global headquarters
- Jacksonville, Florida, U.S., corporate center, supporting North America operations
- Hopewell, New Jersey U.S., corporate center, supporting North America operations
- Jersey City, New Jersey U.S., corporate center, supporting North America operations
- Princeton, New Jersey, U.S., corporate center, GPC Home Office
- Singapore, corporate center, supporting Asian Pacific Rim (APR) operations, namely Hong Kong & Tokyo
- London, UK, European headquarters
- Hong Kong, PRC
- Tokyo, Japan
Major cases
Analyst conflict-of-interest, 2002
In May 2002, a settlement was reached with the Attorney General of the State of New York, which imposed a $100 million fine on Merrill Lynch, as well as an agreement to sever all links between analysts' pay and investment banking revenue. The settlement was related to wrongdoings by equity analyst Henry Blodget. In December 2002 the company was fined an additional $100 million.
Discrimination, 2006
In Mid-July 2006 A discrimination lawsuit was brought by over 70 current and former Merrill Lynch Employees. The case alleges Merrill Lynch being discriminatory in their hiring and promotion practices. Since its original filing additional plaintiffs have been added to the original suit, with class-action status being sought by plaintiff's council. *Merrill Discrimination Suit Moves Forward After Failed Settlement Talks
Notable current and former employees
Business
- Herbert M. Allison - CEO and chairman of TIAA-CREF
- Peter Bacanovic - Martha Stewart's stockbroker
- Henry Blodget - financial analyst
- W. Edmund Clark - CEO of Toronto-Dominion Bank
- Scott T. Ford - CEO of Alltel
- Joseph J. Grano, Jr. - President of Paine Webber
- Mary Meeker - financial analyst
- Joe Moglia - CEO of TD Ameritrade
- John A. Mulheren - stock trader
- George Murnane III - CFO of Mesa Air Group
- Ashwin Navin - co-founder of BitTorrent
- Jack Tramiel - founder of Commodore International
Politics and public service
- Dan Crippen - Director of the Congressional Budget Office (1999-2003)
- Andrew J. Duck - 2002 U.S. congressional candidate
- John Key - Member of the New Zealand House of Representatives (2001-present)
- William J. McDonough - President of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York (1999-2003)
- Donald Regan - U.S. Secretary of the Treasury (1981-85), White House Chief of Staff (1985-87)
- Mark S. Schweiker - Governor of Pennsylvania (2001-2003)
- Jyotiraditya Madhavrao Scindia - Member of the Indian Lok Sabha (2002-present)
- Milen Velchev - Finance Minister of Bulgaria (2001-2005)
Other
- Lee Bienstock - contestant, The Apprentice 5
- Douglas Cliggott - economist
- Kendall Duane Cross - Olympic wrestler
- Gregory Allen Howard - screenwriter
- Norman Kay - bridge player
- C. John McCloskey - Opus Dei priest
- Halsey Minor - founder of CNET
- Irene Ng - child actress
- Mary O'Grady - editor of the Wall Street Journal
- Suze Orman - financial advisor
- James Parrish - professional football player
- Robert Prechter - economist
- Bernard Ramsey - philanthropist
- William Schreyer - philanthropist
Fictional
- Jack Ryan - character created by Tom Clancy
See also
- Global settlement
- Primary dealers
- World Wealth Report
- Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith, Inc. v. Dabit, a 2006 Supreme Court case involving securities fraud claims.
Cites
- ^ http://askmerrill.ml.com/fa_front/1,2280,,00.html?pg=pcu
- ^ Edwin J. Perkins, Wall Street to Main Street: Charles Merrill and Middle-Class Investors, Cambridge University Press: 1999
- ^ Ron Chernow, The House of Morgan, Touchstone Books, 1990.
- ^ James B. Stewart, Den of Thieves, Touchstone Books, 1992. "[I]n 1971, Wall Street was still split between the "Jewish" and the "WASP" firms. At an earlier time, when major corporations and banks had discriminated overtly against Jews, Wall Street had rewarded merit and enterprise. Firms like Goldman, Sachs, Lehman Brothers, and Kuhn Loeb (made up historically of Jews of German descent) had joined the ranks of the most prestigious WASP firms: Morgan Stanley -- an outgrowth of J. P. Morgan's financial empire -- First Boston, Dillon, Read, and Brown Brothers Harriman. Giant Merrill Lynch Pierce Fenner & Smith, something of an anomaly, had once been considered the "Catholic" firm. Kidder, Peabody remained firmly in the WASP camp."
External links
- Official Website
- CNN Article - Merrill Lynch settling conflict of interest charges
- Yahoo! Finance - Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc. Company Profile
- Google Finance - Merrill Lynch profile, market charts, blog posts & discussions
- Registered Rep Article - Merrill Lynch Accused of Reverse Discrimination
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Categories
Companies listed on the New York Stock Exchange | Companies listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange | Companies established in 1914 | Fortune 1000 | S&P 500 | Merrill Lynch | Investment banks | Companies based in New York City | Banks of the United States | Forbes 2000
