Bear Stearns

Bear Stearns Companies Inc. NYSE: BSC is the parent company of Bear, Stearns & Co. Inc. and is one of the largest and best-known global investment banks and securities trading and brokerage firms in the world. The company was founded in 1923 and serves corporations, institutions, governments and individuals. Bear Stearns focuses on three core areas: Capital Markets, Wealth Management, and Global Clearing Services. The Bear Stearns World Headquarters is located at 383 Madison Ave., between E. 46th Street and E. 47th Street.

Bear Stearns currently employs approximately 11,000 people worldwide. The firm is headquartered in New York City and has offices in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Juan. Internationally, it holds offices in London, Beijing, Dublin, Herzliya, Hong Kong, Lugano, Milan, São Paulo, Shanghai, Singapore, and Tokyo.

In 2005, Bear Stearns has been recognized as the “Most Admired” securities firm in Fortune’s “America’s Most Admired Companies” survey. The annual survey is a prestigious ranking of employee talent, quality of management and business innovation. This marks the second time in the past three years that Bear Stearns has achieved this top this distinction.

Subsidiaries

Bear Stearns also conducts business through other wholly owned subsidiaries, including Bear Stearns Global Lending Limited, Custodial Trust Company, Bear Stearns Financial Products Inc., Bear Stearns Capital Markets Inc., EMC Mortgage Corporation, Bear Stearns Mortgage Capital Corporation, Bear Wagner, Bear Stearns Credit Products Inc. and Bear Stearns Forex Inc.

Financials

Bear Stearns currently retains total capital valued at US$40.0 billion (as of May 31, 2004) and total assets of US$226.6 billion (as of February 29, 2004). According to the April 2004 issue of Institutional Investor magazine, Bear Stearns is the seventh largest securities firm in terms of total capital.