(Source: Business Wire)Morgan Keegan & Company, Inc. has announced that Stephen C. Swett has joined the firm as a senior equity analyst and managing director. Swett will head up Morgan Keegan's equity research efforts in Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) in the firm's New York City office. Swett was formerly a senior vice president at Keefe, Bruyette & Woods in New York City, where he was co-Sector Head for REITs. He has more than 20 years of experience in commercial real estate underwriting, finance and market analysis.

The addition of Swett further enhances Morgan Keegan's presence in the REITs sector through its Equity Capital Markets division. In June, Morgan Keegan hired John Ockerbloom, who has over 15 years of M&A and capital raising experience in REITs and Real Estate Operating Companies, to work with Chris Kollme and head up the firm's Real Estate and Lodging Investment Banking group.

"Morgan Keegan's Equity Capital Markets division is quickly becoming a definitive source of investor information and opportunity in the REIT industry," said Elkan Scheidt, Director of Equity Research for Morgan Keegan. "Stephen is a vital addition to our REIT research efforts and brings with him an impressive background in REIT securities analysis that we are confident will benefit our clients."

Since 1995, Swett has focused on public real estate securities analysis, including the last 11 years as a senior REIT analyst with Wachovia Securities and Keefe, Bruyette & Woods. He is a 1986 graduate of Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut, and received his M.B.A. from the University of Connecticut in Storrs.

Morgan Keegan's Equity Capital Markets Group encompasses sales, trading, research and investment banking operations. The group has over 300 employees including sales people, traders, analysts and investment bankers working from institutional offices in Memphis, New York, Boston, Atlanta, Nashville and Houston.

About Morgan Keegan & Company Inc.

Morgan Keegan & Company Inc., one of the nation's largest regional full-service brokerage and investment banking firms, is the securities brokerage arm of Regions Financial Corporation (NYSE: RF). Headquartered in Memphis, Tenn., Morgan Keegan serves individual and institutional investors in over 300 offices in 19 states. Additional information about Morgan Keegan and Regions ” a member of the S&P 100 Index ” can be found at www.morgankeegan.com and www.regions.com.

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