Firm ranked third most productive broker for 2009
MEMPHIS, Tenn., (May 14, 2010) – Simon Leopold of Morgan Keegan & Company, Inc., a part of Regions Financial Corporation (NYSE:RF), is the top earnings estimator in the nation according to the Financial Times / StarMine 2009 rankings of Wall Street's best brokerage analysts published today. Leopold and two other Morgan Keegan analysts were also ranked #1 in earnings estimation and stock picking in their respective industry sectors. In total, seven Morgan Keegan analysts were named among the top three stock pickers and earnings estimators in their respective categories, making Morgan Keegan the third most productive broker in 2009, according to Financial Times / StarMine.
Morgan Keegan equity research analysts have been ranked in the StarMine surveys for eight consecutive years, and Leopold’s #1 ranking across all industries marks the second time a Morgan Keegan analyst has topped the rankings in the last five years.
“This is wonderful recognition of the hard work, long hours and significant talent that Simon and all our analysts bring to our clients and our firm,” said Elkan Scheidt, executive managing director and Director of Equity Research at Morgan Keegan. “These rankings strengthen the fact that our continued focus on well-run, mid- to high-cap companies in dynamic industry sectors offers a robust and actionable research product to our clients.”
"It's a great honor for me and for our firm,” said Leopold. “My individual ranking and the overall success of our research team is characteristic of Morgan Keegan’s steadfast commitment to providing investors with the highest-level research."
In addition to being the nation’s No. 1 earnings estimator, Leopold, 44, a managing director with Morgan Keegan who follows companies in the communications equipment industry including Cisco Systems (CSCO), Juniper Networks (JNPR), Alcatel-Lucent (ALU) and CommScope (CTV), also ranked as the top earnings estimator in the communications equipment category. Prior to becoming an analyst, Leopold worked in the telecommunications industry for 12 years. He joined Morgan Keegan in 2004. Leopold received a B.S. degree in electrical engineering from the University of Michigan, a Master of Engineering from Cornell University and an M.B.A. from Rutgers University.
Other Morgan Keegan analysts named in the 2009 Financial Times/StarMine survey are:
Chaz Jones, senior vice president, Maritime Shipping and Transportation Equipment analyst
• #1 earnings estimator in the Road & Rail category
Jamie Stockton, CFA, first vice president, Healthcare Information Technology analyst
• #1 stock picker, Health Care Technology category
• #3 earnings estimator, Health Care Technology category
Bob Derrington, managing director, Restaurants analyst
• #3 earnings estimator, Restaurants category
Brian Freed, CFA, senior vice president, Enterprise Storage & Security and Internet Security & Infrastructure analyst
• #3 earnings estimator, Software category
Keith Johnson, first vice president, Industrial Manufacturing analyst
• #3 stock picker, Building Products category
Brian Ruttenbur, managing director, Security, Safety & Defense analyst
• #3 earnings estimator, Electronic Equipment & Instruments category
These top rankings are only the most recent accolades received by the firm’s equity research department. In February, Barron’s ranked Morgan Keegan’s Focus List of recommended stocks first among 13 leading national and regional brokerage firms for returns for the five years ended December 31, 2009. The Focus List is a group of stocks selected from the firm’s research coverage universe believed to have the best potential to outperform the markets. February’s number one ranking marked the third consecutive time that Morgan Keegan’s Focus List has ranked #1 for the five-year period by Barron’s.
About Morgan Keegan & Company Inc.
Morgan Keegan & Company Inc., one of the nation’s largest regional full-service brokerage and investment banking firms, is the securities brokerage arm of Regions Financial Corporation (NYSE: RF). Headquartered in Memphis, Tenn., Morgan Keegan serves individual and institutional investors in over 300 offices in 19 states. Additional information about Morgan Keegan and Regions — a member of the S&P 100 Index — can be found here at www.morgankeegan.com and www.regions.com.
Contact:
Eric Bran
Morgan Keegan & Co. Inc.
901.524.4114
