MINNEAPOLIS, Apr 07, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) --

Piper Jaffray (NYSE: PJC) announced today that it has opened new fixed income sales and trading offices in Charlotte, Cleveland and Dallas, adding five professionals.

In Charlotte, Mark Cantrell joins the firm as head of municipal secondary trading, Kyle Braddy joins as a senior municipal trader, and Tom Ashcraft joins as an institutional municipal sales representative. In Cleveland, Kevin Barry joins the firm as a fixed income sales representative, focusing on public entities. In Dallas, Andrew Swoger joins the firm as a fixed income sales representative, focusing on credit unions and banks.

"These high-quality professionals will be key to our objective of growing our public finance and fixed income business throughout the U.S.," said Brad Winges, head of fixed income services for Piper Jaffray. "We have one of the strongest municipal brands in the country, and our aim is to increase our presence in the municipal secondary market. Also, we are building out our distribution team, using our strong municipal capability as the foundation complemented by a broad taxable product platform to meet the needs of our middle-market clients."

Cantrell will report into Winges and will serve on the fixed income services operating committee. He has over 20 years of municipal securities experience, and most recently was the head municipal trader for BB&T Capital Markets. Braddy was previously at Keybanc Securities, where he was a senior municipal trader. Ashcraft has over 17 years of municipal sales experience. He was previously with BB&T Capital Markets. Barry has over 12 years of industry experience, most recently focusing on public entities at Fifth Third Securities. Swoger also has over 12 years of industry experience, most recently at Southwest Corporate FCU.

Piper Jaffray has 55 fixed income sales professionals in 10 markets nationwide, including 15 in municipal institutional sales and 40 in middle-market sales. The distribution team includes 44 taxable and tax-exempt traders in 10 locations.

About Piper Jaffray

Piper Jaffray is a leading middle market investment bank and asset management firm serving clients in the U.S. and internationally. Our proven advisory teams combine deep product and sector expertise with ready access to global capital. Founded in 1895, the firm is headquartered in Minneapolis with offices across the U.S. and in London and Hong Kong. www.piperjaffray.com

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SOURCE: Piper Jaffray

Piper Jaffray
Jennifer A. Olson-Goude, 612-303-6277
Investor and Media Relations