Stephens Inc. of Little Rock announced that it’s expanding its equity capital markets division by hiring new equity research analysts and promoting experienced talent from within.
Brett Huff has been with Stephens in its Little Rock headquarters for 20 years and he returns to equity research from corporate finance, where he was a managing director in the technology group, to follow the application software industry. Huff will launch coverage on front office, back office and office of the CFO software solutions.
Managing Director Daniel Imbro recently shifted his sector focus and initiated research coverage of the transportation sector, a heritage practice for the firm. Imbro has been with Stephens for more than eight years and is based in the firm’s headquarters.
Kyle Joseph has joined the firm as a managing director covering specialty finance. He has 15 years of equity research experience following the sector, including 10 years at Jefferies and two years at Stephens, and is based in San Francisco.
Managing Director Jeff Lick was recently hired for consumer and automotive ecosystem research. He brings more than 30 years of experience in automotive and consumer related investing to his new role, including significant buy side experience. He is based in the firm’s Boston office.
Managing Director Melissa Roberts joins Stephens this month and will provide strategic opportunities research, including index rebalancing strategies. Most recently, she worked in a similar capacity at Keefe Bruyette & Woods. Based in the firm’s New York City office, Ms. Roberts brings more than 20 years of experience to her new role.
Pooran Sharma joined Stephens as a managing director, with a specialized research focus on the food, agribusiness, and grocery/c-store sectors. As a former associate at Stephens Inc. working with analysts Farha Aslam and Ben Bienvenu, Sharma played an integral role in the buildout of the commodity models that underpin the research practice. He brings more than 13 years of diversified financial services experience to his new role with the firm and is based in its New York City office.
“We are delighted to welcome Melissa, Pooran, Jeff and Kyle to the team. They bring a wealth of experience and unique perspectives to their valuable new roles at Stephens,” Kyle Evans, director of research, said in a news release. “We welcome Brett back with open arms and look forward to his leadership as we aggressively build out our Technology platform. Finally, I could not be happier with Daniel’s initiation of the Transportation sector. He is a superb analyst who is focused and thoughtful. This is a very exciting time for our team, and I believe these new hires and recent changes represent a tremendous opportunity for the firm.”
Sign up for Daily E-news
