St. Louis is home to a vibrant financial services industry, with numerous investment firms offering a range of products and services to clients. As a major metropolitan area and transportation hub in the Midwest, St. Louis provides investment firms access to a large pool of potential investors and financial talent. This article will provide an overview of some of the major investment firms based in the greater St. Louis area.
Edward Jones – Major Presence in St. Louis Investment Industry
Edward Jones is one of the most well-known investment firms headquartered in the St. Louis area. Founded in 1922, it has grown to become one of the largest financial services firms in the U.S. with over $1.3 trillion in client assets. Its headquarters campus is located in Des Peres, a suburb just west of St. Louis. With close to 16,000 financial advisors across North America, Edward Jones specializes in individual investors and provides services including stocks, bonds, mutual funds, IRAs, insurance products, and college savings plans. The firm emphasizes a personalized approach to working with individual investors to develop customized portfolios and financial solutions.
Stifel – Major Regional and National Investment Bank
Stifel Financial Corp. is a leading regional investment bank and wealth management firm founded in St. Louis in 1890. It offers services in investment banking, equity research, fixed income sales and trading, and private client services. Stifel has over 350 locations across the U.S. and Europe and manages $420 billion in client assets. In recent years, Stifel has expanded significantly through acquisitions of companies such as Barclays Americas and the middle market investment bank Miller Buckfire. Stifel ranked 9th nationally in health care equity offerings and 8th in technology equity offerings in 2021, demonstrating its strength as an underwriter for growth companies.
Scottrade – Major Retail Brokerage Firm
While Scottrade was acquired by TD Ameritrade in 2017, it maintains a strong brand presence in St. Louis where it was founded in 1980. Scottrade emphasized low-cost trades and online brokerage services for self-directed retail investors. Its downtown St. Louis headquarters includes the Scottrade Center arena, home of the St. Louis Blues NHL team. While the Scottrade brand name is now part of TD Ameritrade nationally, the retail brokerage offices in the St. Louis region maintained the Scottrade name and focus on supporting local investors.
Other Notable Firms with Presence in St. Louis
In addition to the largest firms mentioned above, the St. Louis area is home to offices and investment professionals from many national and global leaders. These include Merrill Lynch, Wells Fargo Advisors, Charles Schwab, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, and Citi, among others. The investments talent pool, business-friendly environment, and centralized location have attracted many firms over the years. And St. Louis continues to see newer fintech players and startups entering the market as well.
In summary, St. Louis has developed into a hub for investment firms given its strategic location and professional talent base. Leading firms such as Edward Jones, Stifel and Scottrade all have major headquarters and deep roots there, while national leaders maintain key offices in the region as well. The investment industry will likely continue thriving given these inherent advantages.