Swedbank’s First Securities receives top ranking in Norway

First Securities, which is a part of the business area Large Corporates & Institutions, receives the top six positions in Norwegian financial magazine Kapital’s ranking of analyst firms and equity brokers in Norway. The annual ranking is based upon a survey among Norway’s largest institutional and private investors.

First Securities wins the following categories. The numbers within brackets represent last year’s ranking. • Best macro analyst: Harald Magnus Andreassen (1) • Best strategy analyst: Peter Hermanrud (1) • Best credit analyst: Pål Ringholm (1) • Best industrial and commodity analyst: Hans Erik Jacobsen (2) • Best equity broker: Paal Myhr Vang, 2nd place: Runar Meland, First Securities • Best trading desk: First Securities Furthermore, Peter Hermanrud and Pål Ringholm are ranked as number two and three in the category “Best overall analyst” and Peter Hermanrud is ranked as number three in the category “Consumer, Shipping, Media and Biotechnology” “This is the result of hard and persistent work among our employees in Norway. First Securitites has always been characterized by unique competence. This, in combination with our business driven advisory culture and Swedbank’s strong balance sheet, will add to a strong Nordic analysis service when Swedbank now builds an investment banking operation. These components are imperative when competing for the largest clients and the most complex transactions”, said Jörgen Pleym Ulvness, Head of Investment Banking, Swedbank. “First Securities ranking in Kapital’s survey does not come as a surprise for us. This confirms that Swedbank, through the acquisition of First Securities, has gained a winning team with a broad competence which will be beneficial for Swedbank’s clients when First Securities is integrated in the bank. This strengthens our ambition to become a leading Nordic and Baltic analysis provider, said Stefan Carlsson”, Head of Large Corporates & Institutions, Swedbank. “We will continue the development of a Nordic/Baltic research department with the clear ambition of being regarded as a top three provider of analysis services for our prioritized clients. Further, we want to draw upon the successful advisory process in our Norwegian organization and implement it in the rest of the organization. Advisory based on top class research will be the corner stone of our client offering. A good research product is also important in order to be attractive for international clients and to gain assignments within corporate finance and it is foremost within these areas that we want to grow going forward”, said Sindre Støer, Head of Research, Swedbank. Sindre Støer has been ranked as one of the top analysts in Norway and was previously Head of the research department within First Securities. Further information: Stefan Carlsson, Head of Large Corporates & Institutions, Swedbank, phone: +46 738 000 842 Sindre Støer, Head of Research, Swedbank, phone: +47 916 303 83 Tor Arne Olsen, Head of Communication, First Securities, phone: +47 900 904 70 Anna Sundblad, Press Manager, Swedbank, phone: +46 703 213 995