Looking for where SIG and Loop Capital Markets interact - both heavily involved in Muni-Bonds - follow the money

SIG - Susquehanna International Group

Loop Capital Markets

Business Wire

NEW YORK – August 19, 2010

On the heels of New Jersey's settlement with the Securities and Exchange

Commission for masking the underfunding of its two biggest pension plans and

misleading investors, Bloomberg examines the pending pension crisis and the

impact it has on the fiscal health of U.S. municipalities at the Bloomberg

Cities & Debt Briefing.

The full day program, being held on September 15, 2010 at 92YTribeca in New

York City, will assess the scope of the municipal fiscal crisis and the

pension problem, and look at where the opportunities are for investors in the

muni market.

Once considered a safe haven for investors, municipal bonds are now seen as

higher risk by investors like Warren Buffett, who told Congress this year that

many state and local governments would soon face a “terrible problem” in

refinancing their debt loads and that some could eventually need to be bailed

out by the federal government. At the same time, the $2.6 trillion U.S.

municipal bond market has hit historic lows this year and drawn big time

investors like Susquehanna International, investor Wilbur Ross, and bond fund

manager Bill Gross.

To address these topics, Bloomberg has brought together some of the most

influential players on both sides of the table, including:

• Howard J. Cure, Director of Municipal Research, Evercore Wealth Management

• Fernando Ferrer, Former Borough President, The Bronx, New York

• Kenneth E. Goodreau, Chief Investment Officer, Department of the General

Treasurer, Rhode Island

• Ronald C. Green, Houston City Controller

• Peter J. Hayes, Managing Director and Head of Municipals, BlackRock Inc.

• David Leininger, Chief Financial Officer, Dallas Area Rapid Transit

• Dean Martin, State Treasurer, Arizona

• Brian Mayhew, Chief Financial Officer, Bay Area Toll Authority

• James L. McIntire, State Treasurer, Washington State

• Jim Reynolds, CEO, Loop Capital Markets

• Andrew Sidamon-Eristoff, State Treasurer, New Jersey

• Chriss Street, Orange County Treasurer

• Bill Thompson, Fmr. NYC Comptroller

As part of the program, the Bloomberg rankings team will release a 3-year

ranking of state pension funds based on the percentage of plan assets that are

available to fund projected benefits. The data has been collected from state

reports and additional information collected by Bloomberg.