Los Angeles, CA, September 27, 2010—B. Riley & Co., LLC (B. Riley) www.brileyco.com, a full service broker dealer providing research, investment banking, sales and trading, has announced that it will be expanding its research to cover the restaurant sector. The firm also announced that Conrad Lyon, CFA, CPA has joined the firm as a Senior Research Analyst dedicated to covering the sector with a focus on casual dining.
“With the consumer environment mired in uncertainty and the volatility in restaurant stocks, we felt it was particularly timely to add restaurant coverage that is unique and proprietary,” said Ian Corydon, Director of Research.
Mr. Lyon initiates with coverage of five companies, including, BJ’s Restaurants, Inc. (Nasdaq:BJRI), Buffalo Wild Wings, Inc. (Nasdaq:BWLD), Cheesecake Factory, Inc. (Nasdaq:CAKE), Jamba, Inc (Nasdaq:JMBA), and Texas Roadhouse, Inc. (Nasdaq: TXRH). He assumes coverage of California Pizza Kitchen, Inc. (Nasdaq:CPKI).
“Casual dining restaurants have and will continue to face challenges with consumer behavior,” noted Mr. Lyon. “How and why consumers decide to use specific brands will change over the next few years. These changes, and how restaurant companies react to them, will provide distinct investment opportunities that we are excited about assessing.”
Mr. Lyon joined B. Riley’s Los Angeles office from Global Hunter Securities, where he was a Managing Director, Senior Equity Analyst covering the consumer sector with a focus on restaurants. Prior, he was a Director and Senior Equity Analyst at FTN Midwest Securities (August 2006 to March 2008) and an Equity Analyst with KeyBanc Capital Markets (July 2004 to August 2006), during which time he covered restaurant companies. Mr. Lyon earned his Bachelor of Science in Accounting from California State University, Northridge.
ABOUT B. RILEY & CO.
B. Riley & Co. is a leading independent investment bank which provides a full array of corporate finance, research, sales, trading and OTCQX DAD services to corporate, institutional and high net worth individual clients. Investment banking services include merger and acquisitions advisory to public and private middle market companies, initial and secondary public offerings and institutional private placements. The firm is recognized for its distinguished Equity Research. Its Corporate Governance Advisory Services Group is engaged by both companies and investors to help maximize value for shareholders. Founded in 1997, the firm is headquartered in Los Angeles and maintains offices in Newport Beach, San Francisco, Philadelphia, and New York. It is a member of FINRA and SIPC. For more information, please visit www.brileyco.com.
CONTACTS:
Ian Corydon
Director of Research
B. Riley & Co.
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310-966-1443
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