Banc of America Securities-Merrill Lynch Research Dominates Leading Surveys

NEW YORK - The Research organization of Bank of America and Merrill Lynch has significantly outperformed all of its competitors in client polls and research forecasting awards since the two platforms were integrated earlier this year.

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To date, Banc of America Securities-Merrill Lynch Research has earned a global award, 11 regional awards and 157 individual analyst awards, clearly demonstrating the power of the combined platform. Highlights of the company’s 2009 Research rankings include:

– Top Global Broker - Financial Times/StarMine — Top U.S. Broker - Financial Times/StarMine — Number 2 European Broker - Financial Times/StarMine — Best Brokerage - Forbes/Zacks; captured more than twice the awards of the runner-up — Seven out of 12 analysts named to Forbes/Zacks “Dazzling Dozen” — Number 2 - Institutional Investor All-Europe Research Team; Number 1 Pan-European Coverage — Number 3 - Institutional Investor All-Emerging Europe Research Team — Number 1 in the U.S., Number 2 in Asia Pacific (ex-Japan) and Latin America, and Number 3 in Developed Europe - Financial Times/StarMine broker rankings for earnings forecasts

Candace Browning, president of Banc of America Securities-Merrill Lynch Global Research, commented: “These awards display the power of our combined franchise and clearly differentiate us from the rest of the industry. Our superb rankings are a testament to the excellence and dedication of our analysts and are particularly meaningful in a year of unprecedented change in the global markets and in the financial services industry.”

The goal of Banc of America Securities-Merrill Lynch Research is to be the premier global research franchise, providing clients with exceptional service, value-added investment insights and alpha-generating investment recommendations. Since January 2009, Banc of America Securities-Merrill Lynch Global Research has hired over 35 analysts globally. The Research team provides recommendations on nearly 3,000 equity securities and 850 corporate bond issuers. The group also provides economic forecasts for approximately 60 countries and recommendations on 40 currencies.

Steve Haggerty, head of Banc of America Securities-Merrill Lynch Americas Equity Research, said: “The survey results make it clear that we are extremely well positioned in a highly competitive market environment. For us, these awards serve as a further incentive to our analysts to continue to evolve their research products and recommendations to better serve our clients.”

StarMine and Zacks Investment Research are independent firms that measure the performance of brokers and analysts over sets of stocks in two areas: the returns of buy/sell recommendations and the accuracy of earnings estimates. The 2009 Financial Times/StarMine survey results are based on the 2008 calendar year. The Forbes/Zacks survey results reflect the stock picking period from March 31, 2006 through March 31, 2009, and the earnings estimation period from the last three fiscal years of the specific stocks covered by each analyst.

The Institutional Investor 2009 All-Europe Research team survey results are based on responses from more than 1,300 money managers at 541 institutions managing an estimated US$6 trillion in European equities, and cover the time period March 2008 through February 2009. The Institutional Investor 2009 Emerging EMEA Research team survey results are based on responses from nearly 300 investors at more than 220 firms managing an estimated US$226 billion in emerging EMEA equities, and cover the time period March 2008 through February 2009.

Bank of America

Bank of America is one of the world’s largest financial institutions, serving individual consumers, small- and middle-market businesses and large corporations with a full range of banking, investing, asset management and other financial and risk management products and services. The company provides unmatched convenience in the United States, serving approximately 55 million consumer and small business relationships with more than 6,100 retail banking offices, more than 18,500 ATMs and award-winning online banking with nearly 30 million active users. Bank of America is among the world’s leading wealth management companies and is a global leader in corporate and investment banking and trading across a broad range of asset classes serving corporations, governments, institutions and individuals around the world. Bank of America offers industry-leading support to more than 4 million small business owners through a suite of innovative, easy-to-use online products and services. The company serves clients in more than 150 countries. Bank of America Corporation stock (NYSE: BAC) is a component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average and is listed on the New York Stock Exchange.

“Bank of America Merrill Lynch” is the marketing name for the global banking and global markets businesses of Bank of America Corporation. Lending, derivatives, and other commercial banking activities are performed by banking affiliates of Bank of America Corporation, including Bank of America, N.A., member FDIC. Securities, financial advisory, and other investment banking activities are performed by investment banking affiliates of Bank of America Corporation (”Investment Banking Affiliates”), including Banc of America Securities LLC, and Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, which are both registered broker-dealers and members of FINRA and SIPC. Investment products offered by Investment Banking Affiliates: Are Not FDIC Insured * May Lose Value * Are Not Bank Guaranteed.

www.bankofamerica.com

Source: Banc of America Securities-Merrill Lynch Research

Susan McCabe Walley, Bank of America, +1-212-449-0389, susan_mccabe at ml.com. Logo: https://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090218/CLW006LOGO