Nomura Expands Equities Distribution in the Americas

Nomura is making good on its commitment to increase staff in the U.S. The global investment bank announced today the expansion of its equities distribution platform with the appointments of Francis “Pope” Fabrizio as a Managing Director for Equity Research Sales in Boston, Richard Sears as a Managing Director for Global Product Sales in New York and Stephen Daly and Brendan Baker to sell U.S. equities into Europe.

In addition, Nomura announced the opening of sales offices for U.S. products in London, Boston, Chicago and San Francisco.

“Nomura’s equities business in the Americas has seen significant growth in its market share over the last 12 months," said Claran O'Kelly, Head of Equities, Americas. The growth has put Nomura into the top 10 brokers in three major products.

New Hires

Fabrizio will join Nomura’s Equity Research Sales team in Boston. His hire completes the initial build-out of the Boston Equities sales force. Pope, as he's known, has deep relationships in the Boston financial community and will increase the penetration of Nomura’s global research and other product offerings in that market. He joins Nomura from FBR & Co., where he was most recently a Managing Director in Equity Research Sales and a member of the firm’s Operating Committee.

Sears will be responsible for building Nomura’s Global Product Sales (GPS) business in the Americas. GPS will offer Nomura’s institutional and hedge fund clients access to a full range of Equities products and services. He joins from Macquarie Holdings USA, where he worked in Institutional Equity Research Sales since 2008. During 2009, he built and managed a mid-markets sales desk to sell Macquarie’s global research products. Prior to Macquarie, Sears worked at J.P. Morgan Securities Inc. / Hambrecht & Quist, where, in addition to production, he built and managed a mid-markets sales desk.

Nomura recently established the capability to deliver U.S. Equity Research products directly to investors in Europe, the Middle East and Africa through a dedicated distribution team. Stephen Daly is the team's leader. He joined the firm in February and is based in London. Daly most recently worked at J.P. Morgan, where he was head of International Distribution of Cash Equities to EMEA clients.

Additionally, Brendan Baker was hired by Nomura in March to manage Sales Trading coverage of European clients. Baker joined from Susquehanna Financial Group, where he worked as an equity sales trader covering clients in the UK and Europe. Baker will be based in New York.

Nomura’s Wholesale business in the Americas recently reported its strongest quarterly revenues since the U.S. build-out began in 2009. Equity Research in the Americas currently has over 200 stocks under coverage, spanning sectors such as financials, technology, media and telecoms, consumer, industrials and basic materials.