At Number 11, investment brokerage/management ($756 billion, +14 percent; with $7.8 billion to print, +5 percent) is gaining after four years of lackluster trading activity. Sideline money, tax breaks and foreign capital are increasingly back in the market. Renewed consolidation among securities brokerages ($3.5 billion to print, +6 percent), such as E-Trade buying Harris Direct, the NYSE merging with Archipelago, and Ameritrade with TD Waterhouse, promises re-branding of ad materials, forms and building signage.
Vincent Mallardi, C.M.C., is a the chairman of the Printing Brokerage/Buyers Association International (PBBA) and is a Certified Management Consultant in the paper, printing and converting industries. He is also an adjunct professor in economics. Contact him via email at vince@pbba.org