Standard & Poor's is the gold standard of credit reporting, albeit slightly tarnished by the credit crisis of 2008. Standard & Poor's (commonly known as S&P) is a business segment of publishing house McGraw-Hill. With operations in some 20 countries, Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC provides the investment community with independent credit ratings on such financial vehicles as stocks, mutual funds, corporate bonds, and municipal bonds. In addition to its credit ratings, risk management, investment research, data, and valuations, Standard & Poor's is known for its indexes, including the S&P 500 index. Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC roots reach back to 1860; S&P was acquired by McGraw-Hill just over a century later.

Transamerica Investment Management, LLC was founded in 1967 and is based in Los Angeles, California with additional offices in Dayton, Ohio; Denver, Colorado; Fort Worth, Texas; and Los Angeles, California. Transamerica Investment Management, LLC (TIM) is a privately owned investment manager. The firm primarily provides its services to individuals, including high net worth individuals. It also manages accounts for banking or thrift institutions, investment companies, pension and profit sharing plans, charitable organizations, foundations, endowments, Taft-Hartley accounts, corporations, and state or municipal government entities. The firm manages separate client-focused equity, fixed income, and balanced portfolios. It also manages mutual funds for its clients. The firm invests in the public equity, fixed income, and alternative markets of the United States. Within the alternative markets, it seeks to invest in convertible securities. The firm invests in growth and value stocks of micro-cap companies with market capitalization between $10 million and $300 million, small-cap companies with market capitalization between $100 million and $2.5 billion, mid-cap companies with market capitalizations between $300 million and $5.0 billion and large-cap companies with market capitalization greater than $5.0 billion to make its equity investments.

Republic Financial Corporation was founded in 1971. Republic Financial Corporation is a principal investment firm specializing in small market buyouts, middle market, and early stage investments. It prefers to invest in aviation and aerospace, manufacturing, security software, banking products, telecommunications, data services, promotional products, corporate staffing, commercial roofing, and construction aggregates. The firm invests through the Aviation and Portfolio Group, Structure Finance Group, and Special Assets Group. Through its Aviation and Portfolio Group, it invests in aircraft, aerospace related assets, and enterprises as well as equipment portfolios. Through the Structured Finance Group, the firm seeks to invest in contract-based construction and permanent financings with development and/or operating partners to leveraged financings for acquisitions of portfolio assets or operating companies. It also invests in bankruptcy, turnarounds, neglected assets, and companies or projects that are capital constrained or in need of restructuring.

Venrock was founded in 1969. Venrock is a venture capital firm specializing in seed, early stage, and first round investments. The firm may also consider second round investments. It primarily invests in information technology, healthcare, media, and energy sectors and also focuses on biotechnology, nanotechnology, drug discovery and development, life sciences technology, digital media and mobile, Internet, consumer, consumer electronics, enablers, nano, healthcare information technology and services, medical devices, application software, communication, wireless, enterprise software and infrastructure, security, financial services, and semiconductors and components sectors. The firm can invests upto $10 million or more.

Octopus' tentacles extend as far as its asset management customers wish. Octopus Asset Management offers venture capital trusts and enterprise investment products (Eureka Fund) for customers in the UK. Other offerings include enterprise investment schemes, which offer customer tax savings. Trusts under management include the Bioscience, Eclipse, and Phoenix Venture Capital Trusts.

Quest for Growth NV is a Belgium-based closed-end investment company that focuses on European technology-based growth companies engaged in various sectors, such as pharmaceuticals and biotechnologies, healthcare equipment and services, information technology, software, semiconductors, energy and materials, among others. Quest Company invests in growth companies with the objective of converting capital gains into tax-free income through the Privak structure, an investment vehicle specially tailored to provide a framework for investments in private equity and in growth companies. The largest part of the Company's portfolio is invested in companies listed on European stock exchanges and other regulated markets.

KKR Financial Holdings LLC is a specialty finance company with focus in a range of asset classes. The Company invests in financial assets consisting primarily of below investment grade corporate debt, including senior secured and unsecured loans, mezzanine loans, high yield corporate bonds, distressed and stressed debt securities, marketable and non-marketable equity securities and credit default and total rate of return swaps. The corporate loans invested in are referred to as syndicated bank loans, or leveraged loans, and are purchased, through assignment or participation in either the primary or secondary market. The Company is externally managed and advised by KKR Financial Advisors LLC (the Manager), a wholly owned subsidiary of Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. (Fixed Income) LLC. Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. (Fixed Income) LLC is a wholly owned subsidiary of Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. L.P. (KKR).

Since 1976, Harbour Group has acquired more than 160 companies mainly in the consumer and industrial product manufacturing and distribution industries. Its portfolio includes both new and mature businesses that make everything from plastic processing equipment (Plastic Automation Exchange) and LED lighting (Watchfire) to music and entertainment systems (Merit Industries) and kitchen and bath hardware (Top Knobs USA). Harbour Group generally looks to invest in and build market-leading companies valued anywhere from $30 million to $500 million. The Fox family controls Harbour Group.

Jesup & Lamont, Inc., through its subsidiaries, provides securities brokerage, investment banking, market making research, investment advisory, asset management services, and order execution services to retail and institutional customers primarily in the United States, Europe, and Asia. Jesup & Lamont, Inc. offers brokerage services, including ancillary services, such as market data and financial information, portfolio tracking and records management, account security, and cash management services directly to retail customers, including individuals, and small to mid-sized institutions, such as banks, credit unions, hedge funds, money managers, mutual funds, and pension funds.Jesup & Lamont, Inc. also provides municipal bond and corporate/high yield bond trading, and certificate of deposit underwriting services; and market making and order execution services, which include filling orders received from independent broker dealers to buy or sell domestic or foreign securities for affiliated and unaffiliated broker dealers and institutions. In addition, Jesup & Lamont, Inc. offers investment advisory services, including investment portfolio planning, recommendations and separate account manager and mutual fund research and due diligence, portfolio performance review and reallocation, and wrap accounts for registered investment advisors. Jesup & Lamont, Inc. was formerly known as Empire Financial Holding Company and changed its name to Jesup & Lamont, Inc. in January 2008. Jesup & Lamont was founded in 2000 and is headquartered in New York, New York.

Founded in 1981 as Citicorp's European private equity arm, CVC carried out its own buyout in 1993 and is now owned by its management. It has about 20 offices around the world. CVC Capital Partners is in the business of making other businesses its business. The private equity investor specializes in buyouts of firms in the UK, the US, Western Europe, Asia, and Australia. Its portfolio of more than 50 companies consists mainly of retail, manufacturing, and service firms. Holdings include UK department store chain Debenhams, US-based luggage maker Samsonite, and Japan-based restaurant chain operator Skylark. It acquired a 47.5% stake in Pilot Travel Centers (now Pilot Flying J) in 2008.

Inviting Real Estate Agents, Job Placements Agents, Educational Institutes, Software Service Providers, Real Estate Builders, Marriage Bureaus, Travel Agents, Restaurant Owners, Health & Fitness Centers and other Local Businesses to Post a FREE Classified Advertisement on Cootera.com Classifieds Website.