Sterne Agee Continues to Gain Traction in Texas, Serving as Senior Managing Underwriter for Over $168 million in Par for Dallas ISD and Northside ISD in July

Birmingham, AL (August 3, 2009) – Sterne Agee’s Texas Public Finance Group served as the senior managing underwriter for a $100.8 million refunding for the Dallas Independent School District as well as a $67.7 million fixed-rate conversion for the Northside Independent School District sustaining the momentum begun when it opened public finance offices in Texas in 2008.

 Carlos Sharpless and Richard Acosta in combination with Jamie Cortese, who heads the firm’s New York municipal trading desk, continue to demonstrate superior market knowledge and execution on behalf of Sterne Agee’s Texas clients. As a result of the firm’s robust distribution platform, Sterne Agee has served as senior and co-managing underwriter on 45 Texas competitive and negotiated financings totaling $1.8 billion in par amount for the past 12 months. Sterne Agee served as the sole senior manager on most of the competitive issues on which it bid.

Sterne Agee’s Texas client list continues to grow, now including Bexar County, Dallas ISD, Northside ISD, Taylor ISD, City of San Antonio Electric and Gas System (CPS Energy), City of Corpus Christi, University of Texas System, Texas Water Development Board and the San Antonio Water System, as well numerous Municipal Utility Districts throughout the State. In addition to a growing list of clients, Sterne Agee will serve as co-manager in two financings in August for Bexar County and the Bexar County Hospital District (University Health Systems), which will be utilizing Build America Bonds, as authorized under the American Recovery Reinvestment Act.

Sterne Agee’s Public Finance Group is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, and maintains offices in Houston, San Antonio, Ft. Lauderdale, New York, Montgomery, Atlanta and Macon, GA. Sterne Agee has served as an underwriter on over 147 municipal financings throughout the country totaling $16.7 billion in par amount in the last 12 months.

Founded in 1901, Sterne Agee is one of the oldest and largest privately-owned investment banking firms in the country. A member of the New York Stock Exchange, Sterne Agee has more than 700 employees in 42 offices in 22 states. For more information, visit www.sterneagee.com.  

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For more information, please contact:

B. Hanson Slaughter
Executive Managing Director, Public Finance
205.949.3534
hslaughter@sterneagee.com

Leah McKinney
Senior Vice President, Marketing
205.949.3564
lmckinney@sterneagee.com