Best site for new equity issues
Merrill Lynch
Merrill Lynch’s new-issue application was developed in an attempt to remove the drudgery of arranging and attending conference calls and management presentations.
“We have really streamlined the process,” says Anthony Rosasco, vice president of direct market technology at Merrill Lynch. “A new issue can now all be done electronically at every level, from getting the prospectus to actually entering an indication of interest.”
Access to the application is gained through Merrill Lynch’s proprietary portal MLX, which was launched in the middle of the year.
When entering the application, the user sees two screens, one of which is the HotBox. In this area site users can glean lists of filings and pricings for new issues. These are updated every 30 minutes.
From here it is possible to choose a company and drill down for information on that specific deal. It provides a deal sketch on the issue’s size, shows whether it is primary or secondary, and shows possible tranches.
The Current Week Calendar lists deals that Merrill Lynch is managing or co-managing. By clicking on the status of the deal, users can access higher-level information. For example the user can discover the roadshow calendar and conference call information.
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