Brian R. Hicks

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.

Founded in 2002, Natixis Securities Americas LLC is an investment bank and SEC-registered broker/dealer headquartered New York City with offices in several leading U.S. cities and affiliate offices in London and Paris. The firm is a division of Natixis and a subsidiary of Natixis SA. Their client base is located throughout North America and Europe and ranges from the largest mutual fund and pension fund managers to specialist hedge funds. Natixis Securities Americas' sales and trading teams are located in New York, Boston, Los Angeles and Houston. Natixis Securities Americas' research efforts focus on identifying new insights about companies that are not fully reflected in their stock prices. The firm also seeks to provide clients with access to the managements of listed companies and to other industry experts. They arrange for such marketing opportunities, in the form of road shows, conferences, meetings and conference calls. Natixis Securities Americas' institutional trading desk offers clients trading capabilities in equities all over the world. The firm focuses on specific global markets to provide clients with the best possible execution worldwide. Natixis Securities Americas employs a transatlantic approach that examines the effects of technological, market and regulatory developments across both continents on the companies under coverage. In the U.S., they provide in-depth sector coverage on energy (oil services, exploration and production, alternative energy and coal), healthcare (large-cap pharmaceuticals, specialty pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, medical devices and healthcare services) and media (media conglomerates, content creators, interactive TV and new media, as well as technical analysis. In Europe, Natixis Securities Americas applies a country-wide approach to all of the key sectors of France, Germany, Austria and Central and Eastern Europe. Combined, the firm's product offering includes more than 600 stocks. Natixis Securities Americas global trading group specializes in the trading, execution and settlement of international equities. The firm provides 24-hour access to 55 global markets. They cater to broker/dealer and institutional clients, providing ADR and ordinary share executions on an agency or proprietary basis. The firm can accommodate most client trading requirements from basket trading to block orders. To complement their international trading reach, Natixis Securities Americas domestic bulletin board trading group currently markets over 2000 U.S.-based companies. The firm offers their clients innovative trading technology through a proprietary Direct Market Access (DMA) platform, Enabler Direct. This product allows immediate access to a variety of liquidity sources through one anonymous interface. Natixis Securities Americas' global brokerage services group offers services to a select group of professional clients. The firm seeks to partner with banks, broker/dealers, hedge funds and high net-worth clients that can utilize their blend of international capabilities and traditional brokerage services to support and enhance their success. Their global brokerage services group is prominent in international securities, equity trading and brokerage operations in over 55 countries around the world. They have experience in both the pre-trade and post-trade requirements in each of these countries.

Citigroup Global Markets, Inc. (Broker) (CGMI-Broker) is the broker/dealer division of Citigroup Global Markets, Inc., an investment bank headquartered in New York City with additional offices across the US. The firm was founded in 2004 and is a subsidiary of Citigroup Financial Products, Inc., ultimately held by Citigroup, Inc. (NYSE: C). CGMI-Broker covers all market capitalizations of the major global indices and provides macro and quantitative analysis of global markets and sector trends. Their core focus of the group is to help investing clients make informed decisions by providing value-added, independent, insightful analysis.

Oppenheimer & Co., Inc. provides security brokerage services. It also offers investment banking and advice to high net worth investors, individuals, businesses and institutions. The company is headquartered in New York, NY.

Susquehanna Financial Group LLLP (SFG) is an institutional broker-dealer headquartered in Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania. The firm was founded in 2002 and is a direct subsidiary of SFG Holding LLC, which is owned by Bodel, Inc. SFG offers a full range of order execution and trading flow services, with a focus on delivering innovative trading strategies and execution services to institutional clients.

Truist Securities, Inc. is a registered broker-dealer headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. The firm was founded in 1894 as SunTrust Robinson Humphrey, Inc. In 2020, the firm was renamed following the integration of SunTrust Robinson Humphrey and BB&T Capital Markets. The firm is a subsidiary of Truist Financial Corp. (NYSE: TFC) and is an active market maker in equity and fixed-income products. Truist Securities delivers a comprehensive range of strategic advisory, capital raising, risk management, and financing solutions, as well as a dynamic suite of sales, trading, and research services in both fixed-income and equity. Their strategies are carefully tailored to meet the needs and vision of their clients.

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.

BGC Financial LP, formerly known as Maxcor Financial, Inc., is a research firm headquartered in New York City. The firm is a subsidiary of BGC Partners, Inc. (NASDAQ: BGCP), a global provider of voice and electronic brokerage services that was founded in 1999. BGC Financial provides a wide range of services, including trade execution, broker-dealer services, clearing, trade compression, post trade, information, and other services to a broad range of financial and non-financial institutions. The firm offers research operations that focus on municipal bonds, high-yield and distressed debt, convertible securities and equities.

Founded in 2008, Northcoast Research Partners LLC is an independent, full-service, institutional equity research firm located in Cleveland, Ohio. The firm is a subsidiary of Northcoast Research Holdings LLC. Their research coverage include: business services, consumer, healthcare, industrial/basic materials and accounting/tax policy.

Jefferies LLC is a global investment bank and institutional securities firm headquartered in New York City. The firm was founded in 1962 and is a subsidiary of Jefferies Group LLC, ultimately held by Jefferies Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE: JEF). Jefferies provides corporate clients with research and execution services in equity, fixed income, and foreign exchange markets, as well as a full range of investment banking services such as underwriting, mergers and acquisitions, restructuring and recapitalization, and other advisory services, with all businesses operating in the Americas, Europe and Asia.

Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC is a registered broker-dealer subsidiary of Morgan Stanley Domestic Holdings, Inc., ultimately owned by Morgan Stanley (NYSE: MS) in the US. Headquartered in New York City, the firm was founded in 1987 and provides debt and equity services including underwriting, M&A advice, securities dealing and brokerage and trade execution. Their client base ranges from large global institutional investors to hedge funds at the cutting edge of innovation in the industry.

ROTH Capital Partners LLC is a broker/dealer headquartered in Newport Beach, California. The firm was founded in 2001 and is a subsidiary of CR Financial Holdings, Inc. They offer institutional sales and trading services. Their broad institutional coverage includes investors in North America, Canada, UK, Europe and other international territories.

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.

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

BTIG LLC is an institutional brokerage and fund services firm headquartered in San Francisco, California. The firm was founded in 2002 through the merger of Baypoint Trading LLC and Bass Trading LLC. They are a subsidiary of Condor Trading LP. BTIG offers institutional and corporate clients with personalized multi-asset class execution, expertise and insights worldwide across equities, equity derivatives, ETFs, fixed income, futures, commodities, foreign exchange, interest rates, credit, and convertible and preferred securities. The firm’s core capabilities include global sales, portfolio, electronic and outsource trading, transition management, investment banking, prime brokerage, capital introduction, corporate access, research and strategy, commission management and more.

Brean Capital is an independent investment bank and registered broker/dealer headquartered in New York City. The firm was founded in 1973 and provides equity research, corporate finance and advisory investment banking, equity institutional sales and trading, and asset management to institutional investors and corporate clients. Their fixed income business provides sales, trading, research and banking services on a wide range of mortgage and asset-backed, US Treasury and government agency securities, structured products, corporate bonds, and municipal debt. The fixed income sales team employs a highly analytical approach to bond selection, trade execution, and overall bond portfolio management. Under the guidance of fixed income strategists, the fixed income team uses a combination of qualitative and quantitative analyses to create custom investment portfolios and develop targeted, executable bond trading strategies to complement their clients? balance sheets.

William Blair & Co. LLC (William Blair) is a SEC-registered broker/dealer firm headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. The firm was founded by William McCormick Blair in 1935 and is a subsidiary of WBC Holdings LP. Until 1941, they were known as Blair, Bonner & Co. William Blair provides broking services to individual, institutional and issuing clients.

Auriga USA is a broker/dealer located in New York City. Their research focuses on the semiconductors, information technology and health services sectors.

Hapoalim Securities USA, Inc. (Hapoalim Securities) is a registered broker/dealer headquartered in New York City. The firm is a subsidiary of PCM-HSU Holdings, Inc., which is owned by Bank Hapoalim BM (TLV: POLI) in Israel. Founded in 1993, Hapoalim Securities specializes in value added investment strategy services and products for institutional and high net-worth private investors. The firm combines a full product offering with international capability. They seek to provide investors with access to Israeli financial markets and companies.

Founded in 2001, Macquarie Capital (USA), Inc. is a registered broker/dealer located in New York City. The firm is a subsidiary of Macquarie Bank Ltd. (ASX: MBL). They provide coverage of the following industries: resources, healthcare, security/defense, transportation, financial services, retail/consumer products, TMET (telecommunications, media, entertainment and technology), oil & gas, diversified manufacturing/distribution and infrastructure/utilities. Macquarie Capital (USA), Inc. is a member of FINRA.