Ivy Securities Signs Sponsorship Agreement with BIDS Trading

NEW YORK, NY – December 15, 2009 – Ivy Securities, a New York-based agency broker for institutional investors, and BIDS Trading, the alternative trading system (ATS) designed to increase competition and liquidity in the U.S. equity block trading market, are pleased to announce the signing of a sponsorship agreement. This agreement provides Ivy Securities’ clients with anonymous, direct access to liquidity in BIDS Trading’s crossing network while earning minority credits.

“We are very excited that Ivy Securities has become a sponsoring broker with BIDS Trading. This arrangement allows our clients to obtain greater liquidity and improved executions via access to BIDS Trading’s non-displayed liquidity pool, while at the same time, fulfilling their MBE goals. This is clearly a win-win for all parties involved” said Grant Wu, President, and CEO of Ivy Securities, a 15-year veteran of the financial industry. “The firm’s number one priority is to provide its clients with value-added services such as direct access to BIDS Trading’s dark pool.”

Ivy Securities offers its clients, which include large institutional equity fund managers, pension funds, hedge funds, and small to mid-sized institutional investors, personalized service, access to the firm’s extensive contacts and technology-driven trading strategies, and an accomplished, trusted, portfolio trading desk. Through its agreement with BIDS Trading, Ivy customers are now able to directly and anonymously source block liquidity in both BIDS Trading and NYBX. This provides institutions with MBE targets a convenient way to boost their MBE use without forcing them to avoid direct-access options.

“Our goal is to encourage the broadest possible market participation and we are pleased to provide access to Ivy Securities’ client base and address their needs for anonymous block trading,” said Tim Mahoney, Chief Executive Offi cer of BIDS Trading.

BIDS Trading allows market participants to trade large blocks of equities without revealing their order. Information disclosure is controlled by the trader via customizable trading tools: traders set their minimum block size to help protect their order and they can filter out counterparties based on past trading behavior.

BIDS Trading participants have simultaneous access to both the BIDS ATS and the New York Block Exchange (NYBX). NYBX, a revolutionary joint venture between BIDS Trading and NYSE Euronext, is the first joint trading venture between an ATS and an exchange. NYBX provides investors with access to both displayed and hidden interest on the NYSE, without revealing trading intentions. In November, buy-side users of the NYBX through the BIDS ATS averaged an impressive 45% fill rate, with an average buy-side order size of 46,554 shares.

Media Contacts

Caroline Bujak, BIDS Trading, L.P.
Email: caroline.bujak@bidstrading.com
Tel: +1.212.618.2097

About BIDS Trading, L.P.

BIDS Trading, L.P. is a registered broker-dealer and the operator of the BIDS Alternative Trading System (ATS), which was designed to bring counterparties together to anonymously trade large blocks of shares. Developed by a consortium of leading financial services firms, BIDS Trading resolves the classic paradox of the block trader – the need to find legitimate trading counterparties without prematurely revealing trading intentions. The BIDS ATS is open to all qualifying broker-dealers and their institutional clients, subject to basic credit and regulatory requirements. For more information, visit www.bidstrading.com.

About Ivy Securities

Ivy Securities, Inc. is a minority-owned equity brokerage firm that was created to help meet the minority brokerage mandates of buy-side organizations. The firm provides full-service sales and trading for all New York Stock Exchange and over-the-counter stocks. Ivy Securities’ agency equity trading desk focuses on providing value-added service and execution. The firm also has a program trading operation that executes both basket and program orders. Ivy Securities’ investor base includes large institutional equity fund managers, pension funds, hedge funds, and small to mid-sized institutional investors. The firm is certified as a Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) and is an approved broker for many plan sponsors and institutional money managers. For more information about Ivy Securities and its services, visit www.ivysec.com.www.ivysec.com.

BIDS Trading, L.P. (“BIDS Trading”) is a member of FINRA, NYSE, and SIPC. BIDS Trading and the BIDS Trading mark are protected in the United States and in countries throughout the world.