Robert Ridgway

Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc. provided wealth management, securities trading and sales, corporate finance and investment banking services. Merrill Lynch was a global trader and underwriter of securities and derivatives across a range of asset classes and serve as a strategic advisor to governments, institutions and individuals worldwide. The company was founded in 1913 and was headquartered in Charlotte, NC.

Brandes Investment Partners LP (Brandes) is a SEC-registered investment advisor headquartered in La Jolla, California. The firm was founded by Charles H. Brandes in 1974 and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Brandes Worldwide Holdings LP. Brandes manages global equity and fixed-income assets for clients worldwide.

Gradient Analytics LLC (Gradient) is an independent equity research firm headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona. It was founded by Carr Bettis and Donn Vickrey in 1996 and formerly known as Camelback Research Alliance. The firm is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sabrient Systems LLC, which acquired the firm in August 2011. Gradient has particular expertise in financial analysis, forensic accounting and executive behavior. They publishes academically rigorous, unbiased, objective insights into the financial performance and equity valuation of liquid publicly traded companies globally for mutual fund managers, hedge fund managers, and other professional money managers.