Bear Stearns Equity Research Voted the Best in the 2007 Alpha All-America Hedge Fund Survey

Hedge funds with approximately $800 billion in assets have named Bear Stearns Equity Research the best on Wall Street. Bear Stearns was voted #1 in the 2007 Alpha All-America Hedge Fund survey, up from second place last year. In all, Bear Stearns analysts secured 36 positions in the 5th annual poll, with 10 of those analysts receiving top honors in their respective categories. "We focus on producing a great research product and it is extremely gratifying to be awarded this ranking by our clients,” said Kay Booth, Director of Global Equity Research. "I am very proud of our analysts and their talent for producing innovative ideas and finding creative ways to help our clients generate alpha in their portfolios.” Alpha, an Institutional Investor publication, retabulates the results from the II All-America Research Team survey, using only the votes from hedge funds. According to Alpha, more than 280 hedge funds, managing about $800 billion dollars in assets, participated in the survey. Below is a list of all the Bear Stearns equity research analysts ranked in the 2007 Alpha survey. FIRST TEAM - 10 positions Steve Binder   Aerospace & Defense Electronics John Boris Pharmaceuticals / Major Joe Buckley Restaurants Philip Cusick* Telecom Equipment / Wireless Joseph Greff Gaming & Lodging Victor Miller IV Radio & TV Broadcasting John Rex Managed Care Mark Schoenebaum Biotechnology Andrew Steinerman Business/Professional Services Edward Wolfe Airfreight & Surface Transportation   SECOND TEAM - 12 positions Christine Augustine Retailing/Broadlines & Department Stores Terry Bivens Food Philip Cusick* Telecom Services John DiFucci Software Gurinder Kalra Semiconductors James Kissane Computer Services & IT Consulting David Malpass Economics Alexia Quadrani Publishing & Advertising Agencies Christopher Senyek Accounting & Tax Policy David Small Insurance / Non-life Robert Summers Retailing / Food & Drug Chains Spencer Wang* Entertainment   THIRD TEAM - 7 positions Salvatore DiMartino Banks / Mid-Cap Justin Hott Cosmetics, Household & Personal Care Products Mike McCormack Telecom Services Robert Peck Internet Janet Pegg Accounting & Tax Policy Anthony Rizzuto, Jr. Metals & Mining Spencer Wang* Cable & Satellite   RUNNERS-UP - 7 positions Ann Duignan Machinery Jason Gurda Health Care Facilities David Hochstim Consumer Finance Kevin Kessel Electronics Manufacturing Services Andrew Neff IT Hardware Robin Shoemaker Oil Services & Equipment Rick Wise Medical Supplies & Devices   * Dual Ranked Analysts Bear Stearns Founded in 1923, The Bear Stearns Companies Inc. (NYSE: BSC) is a leading financial services firm serving governments, corporations, institutions and individuals worldwide. The Company’s core business lines include institutional equities, fixed income, investment banking, global clearing services, asset management, and private client services. Headquartered in New York City, the company has approximately 15,000 employees worldwide. For additional information about Bear Stearns, please visit the firm’s web site at www.bearstearns.com.