Stifel and Leumi Partners Sign an Investment Banking Collaboration Agreement

ST. LOUIS, MO--(Marketwired - Jan 20, 2015) - Leumi Partners Ltd. ("LP"), the investment & merchant banking arm of Bank Leumi le-Israel B.M. ("Leumi"), Israel's first and largest banking group, recently signed an exclusive investment banking collaboration agreement with Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated (NYSE: SF) ("Stifel"), one of North America's leading middle-market investment banks.

Stifel and LP will work together to provide investment banking services to Israel-related companies looking to raise debt or equity, on public markets or privately, as well as strategic advisory services, in North America and other regions.

Leumi Partners has identified the growing demand among middle-market companies for international expansion and capital-raising alternatives and has, therefore, joined forces with Stifel in order to enhance its offerings in the field.

"This collaboration agreement is consistent with Leumi Partners' broader strategy of developing further business opportunities for our clients, both locally and abroad, and is another major step in expanding our international product offering and capabilities," commented Yaron Bloch, Leumi Partners' CEO. "Stifel is well regarded across a variety of sectors, and in particular, technology and healthcare."

"These strengths are expected to not only enhance Leumi Partners' targeted client offerings," added Prof. Danny Tsiddon, Deputy CEO of Leumi and Chairman of LP, "but will also contribute in a substantial way to Leumi's newly established tech banking platform, LeumiTech."

"Given our core strengths in high tech, life sciences, and the growth sectors of the economy, we have always viewed Israel as an important market," added Brad Raymond, Co-Head of Investment Banking at Stifel. "The opportunity to work with one of the preeminent firms in Israel is an exciting opportunity and consistent with our strategy to be the leading full-service investment bank focused on growth and emerging companies."

Oded Tal, Managing Director and Head of Mergers & Acquisitions at LP, said today, "Stifel is considered one of the leading North American middle-market investment banks and has extensive financial advisory and capital-raising experience, having completed thousands of public offerings, M&A transactions, and private placements over the last 15 years. We are delighted to have signed this exclusive collaboration agreement after an in-depth, thorough search for such a high-quality partner, which will further strengthen our significant competitive advantage in Israel."

"We have a strong history in Israel with over 25 transactions completed in the past 10 years," said Steven Levy, Managing Director at Stifel responsible for Stifel's efforts in Israel. "We believe that teaming up with Leumi will allow us to capitalize on the continued growth and entrepreneurial spirit in Israel and take our business to a market-leading position."

Stifel Company Information
Stifel Financial Corp. (NYSE: SF) is a financial services holding company headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, that conducts its banking, securities, and financial services business through several wholly owned subsidiaries. Stifel's broker-dealer clients are served in the United States through Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated; Keefe Bruyette & Woods, Inc.; Miller Buckfire & Co., LLC; and Century Securities Associates, Inc., and in the United Kingdom and Europe through Stifel Nicolaus Europe Limited; Keefe, Bruyette & Woods Limited; and Oriel Securities Limited. The Company's broker-dealer affiliates provide securities brokerage, investment banking, trading, investment advisory, and related financial services to individual investors, professional money managers, businesses, and municipalities. Data herein includes firms acquired by Stifel. Stifel Bank & Trust offers a full range of consumer and commercial lending solutions. Stifel Trust Company, N.A. offers trust and related services. To learn more about Stifel, please visit the Company's web site at www.stifel.com. 

Leumi Company Information
Bank Leumi le-Israel B.M. (TASE: LUMI), the leading financial group in Israel, provides comprehensive banking services to households, SMEs and large enterprises, and a wide range of financial services to institutional customers and foreign banks, in Israel and internationally. Leumi operates 274 branches throughout Israel, and over 40 branches and offices in key financial centers across the globe. Leumi provides additional services through its subsidiaries including: Leumi Card Ltd., offering payment and credit solutions; the Arab-Israel Bank Ltd., servicing the Arab-Israeli sector; LeumiTech, catering for the Israeli hi-tech sector internationally; and Leumi Partners, serving as the investment and merchant banking arm of Leumi. To learn more about Leumi, please visit the Company's web site at english.leumi.co.il.

Leumi Partners Company Information
A wholly owned subsidiary of Leumi, LP is the leading local merchant and investment banking platform in Israel, engaged in four complementary business lines, independently and through its wholly owned subsidiaries. LP's Investments Division manages a c. $1.5b portfolio with investments in some of Israel's leading companies. LP Underwriters, Ltd. provides underwriting and distribution services, participating in over 50% of public capital market transactions in Israel. LP's M&A Division is a premier investment banking group, providing advisory services on local and cross-border middle-market transactions. LP Research, Ltd. provides chiefly buy-side research services to LP, Leumi, and to external clients. To learn more about LP, please visit the Company's web site at www.leumipartners.com/en.