Louise Costikyan

TIAA-CREF Investment Management LLC (TCIM) is a registered investment advisor headquartered in New York City. The firm was founded in 1997 and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of TIAA-CREF Asset Management LLC, ultimately owned by TIAA Board of Governors. TCIM provides investment management and certain administrative services necessary for the operation of the College Retirement Equities Fund (CREF), a diversified open-end registered investment management company that consists of eight accounts, that issues individual, group and tax-deferred variable annuity contracts.

Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith, Inc. (MLPFS) is the SEC-registered broker/dealer subsidiary of Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc., ultimately held by Charlotte-based Bank of America Corp. (NYSE: BAC). The firm was founded in 1958 and is headquartered in New York City. In 2010, Banc of America Securities LLC merged with MLPFS and the firm uses the trade name Bank of America Merrill Lynch. MLPFS's global strategy and economics team serves institutional and individual investors using a wide range of macroeconomic disciplines. Their analysis of global issues provides clients with investment ideas, market forecasts, macro overviews and specific sector recommendations across asset classes, regions and disciplines. Their equity research team conducts fundamental analysis on companies globally and provides institutional and retail clients with industry-specific and in-depth research and analysis on numerous industries. The firm's global fixed-income and equity-linked research focuses on fixed-income and equity derivatives, fixed-income strategy, convertibles, commodities, high-yield, mortgages, municipals and global foreign exchange.

Part of Woodbridge Co. Ltd. /New/, Lipper Analytical Services, Inc. supplies the business community and media with real-time financial data and news services. The company is based in New York, NY.