Stephens Inc. expands financial institution equity research team

Stephens Inc. announced three new hires and a promotion to its financial institutions group within institutional equity research and sales.

Matt Kelley joins as a financial sector sales specialist and managing director from Piper Jaffray Companies. Kelley has more than 20 years of experience in sales and equity research focused on the regional and community bank sectors. Prior to Piper Jaffray Companies, he held positions with Sterne Agee Group, Moors & Cabot and RBC Capital Markets.

Joining Stephens’ equity research team are Matthew Breese as managing director covering Northeast Regional Banks, and Broderick Preston as an analyst covering Mid-Atlantic Regional Banks. Both were most recently with Piper Jaffray Companies.

Breese has focused on regional and community banks for more than a decade. StarMine named Breese the No. 3 stock picker in 2019 and 2018, the No. 1 stock picker in 2015, as well as the No. 3 earnings estimator in 2018 and 2015 for the thrift and mortgage finance segment. Breese began his career in 2008 with Sterne Agee & Leach, Inc. Preston has worked alongside Breese covering the Northeast banks since 2016.

In addition, Gordon McGuire, who has been at Stephens since 2015, was promoted to research analyst and will expand Stephens bank coverage across the Western portion of the U.S., alongside Tyler Stafford, CFA, an 11-year industry veteran and managing director at Stephens focusing on the West and Southeast Regional Banks.

Matt Olney, CFA and managing director, will continue to follow Southwest Regional Banks, while Terry McEvoy, CFA and managing director, will continue to follow Super Regional and Midwest Regional Banks.

In total, Stephens now has six publishing research analysts focused on all regions of the U.S., with near-term expectations to cover 150+ community, regional, and super regional banks.

The most recent expansion comes a few weeks ahead of the 9th Annual Stephens Bank Forum in Little Rock on September 23-25, which will consist of management teams from 70+ U.S. community and regional banks, as well as institutional investors from across the country.

“With our existing team and these key additions to research and sales, we believe Stephens has one of the industry’s leading financial institutions groups. Since 2015, the firm has seen strong growth and momentum in our US Depository practice, a clear testament to the client value we deliver within Research, Sales, and Trading,” stated Nik Fisken, Executive Vice President, Head of Institutional Equities and Director of Research.