Cantor Fitzgerald & Co. Equity Research Group Expands Coverage to Technology Sector; Three Senior Technology Analysts Further Expand Cantor Fitzgerald's Equity Research Platform.

NEW YORK -- Cantor Fitzgerald & Co., a leading global financial services provider to the institutional equity and fixed-income markets, today announced that its Equity Research Group has expanded its sector coverage with the hiring of a dedicated technology research team. The team includes Derek Brown, Edward (Ted) Jackson, and Mark Verbeck.

Prior to joining Cantor Fitzgerald, both Mr. Verbeck and Mr. Brown worked for Pacific Growth Equities, where Mr. Brown covered the online marketing and commerce sectors, and Mr. Verbeck covered the software sector. Mr. Jackson joins from Minneapolis-based Dougherty & Company LLC, where he served as a senior analyst covering communications and data technology. Mr. Jackson and Mr. Verbeck both previously served at U.S. Bancorp Piper Jaffray.

Derek Brown and Mark Verbeck will be based in Cantor Fitzgerald's San Francisco offices, and Ted Jackson will be based in Minneapolis.

"We are pleased to expand our research group sector coverage, to further serve our clients at a time of growth and opportunity in the technology space," said Phil Marber, President and CEO of Equity Capital Markets at Cantor Fitzgerald. "Going forward, Cantor Fitzgerald is well-positioned to provide high quality research analysis covering the telecom, internet and software sectors."

The Technology team joins four other analysts covering the Shipping, Life Sciences and Real Estate sectors. Cantor Fitzgerald's expansion into Technology complements its existing sales and trading platforms which leads the industry in many market-making and execution measures.

About Cantor Fitzgerald

Cantor Fitzgerald, & Co. is a leading financial services provider to the institutional equity and fixed income markets, with products and services including sales and trading, investment banking, asset management, market data, and market commentary. For nearly 60 years, Cantor Fitzgerald, a proven and resilient leader, has been committed to delivering a unique brand of trading and distribution services, product expertise, innovative technology and customer service to its clients around the world. This commitment also extends to numerous philanthropic endeavors, including the firm's pledge to donate 25% of the profits it would otherwise distribute to its partners through 2006 to benefit the families of the employees lost on September 11, 2001. For more information, please visit www.cantor.com.

Backgrounder 

Derek Brown, Senior Equity Analyst, Internet

Derek is a senior equity analyst who joins us from Pacific Growth Equities, where he covered the online marketing and commerce sectors. Prior to Pacific Growth, Derek worked in equity research at both WR Hambrecht and Volpe Brown Whelan. Mr. Brown has been on the sell-side for 12 years and focused on the Internet sector exclusively since 1998.

Edward (Ted) Jackson, CFA, Senior Equity Analyst, Telecom

Ted joins Cantor Fitzgerald from Minneapolis-based Dougherty & Company LLC, where he was a senior analyst covering communications and data technology.

Prior to Dougherty, Ted spent two years working with Gardner Lewis Asset Management, a Pennsylvania-based money management firm and he spent six years with Piper Jaffray before joining Gardner Lewis. Ted departed Piper as a managing director and senior equity analyst covering communications and data technology.

Mark Verbeck, Senior Equity Analyst, Software

Mark joins us with extensive experience covering the software sector. Most recently he was briefly at Pacific Growth Equities. Prior to that, he covered the sector for three years at Citigroup and has also been at ThinkEquity Partners and Piper Jaffray. Mark's software background comes from his years at Deloitte Consulting where he was a Senior Manger in the enterprise software group.