Swedbanka?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 Kapitala�s ranking of analyst firms and equity brokers in Norway. The annual ranking is based upon a survey among Norwaya�s largest institutional and private investors.

First Securities wins the following categories. The numbers within brackets represent last yeara�s ranking.

Best macro analyst: Harald Magnus Andreassen (1)
Best strategy analyst: Peter Hermanrud (1)
Best credit analyst: Pl 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 Pl Ringholm are ranked as number two and three in the category aBest overall analysta and Peter Hermanrud is ranked as number three in the category aConsumer, Shipping, Media and Biotechnologya

aThis 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 Swedbanka�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 transactionsa, said Jrgen Pleym Ulvness, Head of Investment Banking, Swedbank.

aFirst Securities ranking in Kapitala�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 Swedbanka�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 Carlssona, Head of Large Corporates & Institutions, Swedbank.

aWe 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 forwarda, said Sindre St'er, Head of Research, Swedbank.

Sindre St'er has been ranked as one of the top analysts in Norway and was previously Head of the research department within First Securities.

Swedbank promotes a sound and sustainable financial situation for the many people, households and companies. Our vision is to contribute to a development aBeyond Financial Growtha. As a leading bank in the home markets Sweden, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, Swedbank offers a wide range of financial services and products. Swedbank has 9.5 million retail customers and about 670,000 corporate customers with more than 350 branches in Sweden and over 200 branches in the Baltic countries. The group is also present in other Nordic countries, the U.S., China, Russia and Ukraine. As of September 30 2010 the group had total assets of SEK 1,846 billion. Read more at [ www.swedbank.com ]

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Swedbanka?s First Securities Receives Top Ranking in Norway