News

February 21, 2005

Janney Montgomery Scott Announces Agreement to Acquire Parker/Hunter

PHILADELPHIA,PA– February 22, 2005 – Philadelphia-based Janney Montgomery Scott LLC (“Janney”), one of the country's largest regional full-service investment firms, announced today that it has executed an Acquisition Agreement to acquire Parker/Hunter Incorporated (“Parker/Hunter”), a leading independently-owned regional investment and investment banking firm headquartered in Pittsburgh, PA.   Upon closing of the transaction, which is subject to shareholder and regulatory approvals, Parker/Hunter will operate as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Janney until the operations of the two firms are merged later in the year.

With Parker/Hunter's 21 branch offices in Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia and more than 130 financial advisors, this combination stands to significantly increase the scope of Janney's presence within the Middle-Atlantic states and expands its branch office system to over 100 offices from Massachusetts to Florida, serving 350,000 clients through over 1,000 financial consultants.

“We enthusiastically welcome all the professionals from Parker/Hunter into the Janney family, knowing that the combined resources and dedication of both organizations will serve clients with ever increasing value,” said James W. Wolitarsky, Janney Chairman, President & CEO.   He added, “Janney and Parker/Hunter share common values, visions and long histories dating back to 1832 and 1902, respectively.   Both firms focus on the client relationships as fundamental in all they do, offering professional advice, guidance and service to individual investors, corporations, institutions and municipal governments.”

Robert W. Kampmeinert, Chairman, President & CEO of Parker/Hunter, stated, “Parker/Hunter is delighted to unite with Janney, knowing that we share the same core values, visions and strengths that support our mutual goals of serving the needs of our clients and the growth of our employees.   Janney's significant resources, common platform of values, and “client-first” operating philosophy, will indeed support the continued success of all, especially our clients.”

About Janney Montgomery Scott

Janney Montgomery Scott LLC is a major regional full-service securities broker/dealer headquartered in Philadelphia, serving a national client base through nearly 900 financial consultants located in 80 branch offices along the United States East Coast. Janney traces its roots to 1832 and holds the second oldest seat on the New York Stock Exchange. The company enjoys a strong capital base of over $300 million and continues to successfully execute growth plans for its private client and institutional activities. Janney is a subsidiary of The Penn Mutual Life Insurance Company, one of the 15 largest mutual insurance companies in the nation, with assets of more than $13 billion.

About Parker/Hunter Incorporated

Parker/Hunter, based in Pittsburgh, is the largest independently-owned full service investment and investment banking firm headquartered in Pennsylvania with 21 offices throughout Pennsylvania , Ohio and West Virginia . Parker/Hunter is a member of the New York Stock Exchange, Inc., the National Association of Securities Dealers, and the Securities Investor Protection Corporation.

Preceding press release obtained from Janney Montgomery Scott at www.janneys.com. Berkshire Capital has reprinted this press release substantially in its entirety.

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