- Michael Margolies
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Michael Margolies Born July 4, 1958 Michael Margolies (born July 4, 1958) is an American entrepreneur, investor, and businessman with more than 25 years of Wall Street experience. Margolies is a pioneer in independent research for Wall Street companies. He is most commonly recognized as the founder and CEO of the independent research provider Avalon Research Group Inc. (1995–2004) and Littlebanc Advisors, LLC, a boutique investment bank.
In 2011, Margolies was cited as a "must know" business influencer by the Jacksonville Advantage for his extensive experience and relationships with Wall Street's well-known investors.[1]
Contents
Early life
Michael Margolies was born on July 4, 1958, in Far Rockaway of the New York City borough of Queens. As a child, Margolies showed an early proclivity for business, selling souvenirs on Rockaway Beach during summer and working at local businesses during the winter. He attended Far Rockaway High School, graduating in 1977. With no college experience, Margolies took a job as a delivery truck driver, delivering beer to restaurants and bars in Harlem. Later, after deciding to pursue his aptitude for business, Margolies began his career in the health club industry as a salesperson. By 1980, Margolies was one of the top salespeople at the Jack Lalanne chain of health clubs.
In 1982, Margolies landed a job as a clerk on the floor Wall Street's New York Stock Exchange. He continued to hold jobs at various Wall Street institutions for the next 16 years.[2]
Career
Oppenheimer & Co. Inc.
From January 1986 to June 1992, Margolies managed discretionary long-short equity accounts as a Senior Vice President and Limited Partner at Oppenheimer and Company in New York.[3] At Oppenheimer, Margolies developed relationships with influential money managers and became known for his independent investment research.
MA Berman & Co.
MA Berman was an asset management firm managing approximately $600 million in equity long-short portfolios.[4] Margolies served as Managing Partner from July 1992 to February 1995. He was primarily responsible for research and risk management of managed accounts.
Avalon Research Group
Avalon Research Group was an independent equity research firm focused on identifying undervalued and overvalued publicly traded securities.[5] Founded on February 14, 1995, Avalon was seen as an alternative to traditional Wall Street research. Avalon offered research, free of bias and focused on industry insiders' opinions, that would help money managers make decisions about certain stocks.[6]
The firm produces detailed fundamental analysis that sold to approximately 200 of the top institutional managers. With more than 100 hedge fund and mutual fund clients, Avalon was a top-rated independent research firm and founding member of the Investorside Research Association, a non-profit trade association of investment research providers not engaging in investment banking.[7][8] The formation of the Investorside Research Association ensured, for the first time, that regular investors, not just well-connected clients of banks, would receive multiple opinions on buying and selling stocks.[9]
Margolies served as CEO and COO (February 1995 - July 2004) until he sold the firm to Metal Bulletin, PLC for $21 million in 2004.[10] In September 2005, after a downturn in trading at Avalon, Metal Bulletin sold Avalon back to its shareholders for $1.[11]
Ladenburg Thalmann
For a short time after the sale of Avalon Research Group, Margolies was the Managing Director of Ladenburg Thalmann's PIPE practice, which focuses on identifying quality small- to mid-cap public and private companies and assisting them with their capital needs.
Littlebanc Advisors LLC
Margolies founded Littlebanc Advisors in May 2009 and currently serves as the CEO. Margolies founded Littlebanc on the belief that a boutique investment banking firm could provide capital to Florida-based growing companies.[12] Based in Boca Raton, Florida, Littlebanc provides its client companies with merchant and investment banking services. Littlebanc's investment banking clientele include:[13]
- Apollidon Learning develops marketing programs to help public universities attract students to their online distance-learning education programs.[14]
- Divine Skin manufactures, develops, and distributes personal care products that address hair loss, skin care, aging, and other categories. [15]
- ExamSoft Worldwide supplies computer-based exam software for a variety of educational and certification exams.[16]
- Liberator Medical Supply, Inc. provides direct-to-consumer medical supplies and primarily focuses on urological supplies.[17]
- LML Payment Systems provides various payment processing solutions, including credit card processing, authentication services, and electronic funds transfer.[18]
- Planet Payment offers multi-currency processing solutions that allow banks and other payment processors to securely process transactions in multiple currencies.[19]
Littlebanc Merchant offers high-net-worth individuals and accredited investors the opportunity to invest in high-quality growth companies on a deal-by-deal basis.[20] Littlebanc Merchant's portfolio companies include:- Hiconversion provides a conversion-rate optimization (CRO) software solution that allows internet retailers to efficiently test changes to their websites that lead to more online sales.[21] Margolies currently sits on Hiconversion's board of directors.[22]
- Powers Device Technologies, a St. Johns, Florida, company that develops early-stage medical devices to address the distress tolerance and nutritional needs of premature infants.[23]
- SkyShop Logistics helps non-U.S. residents shop on U.S. merchant websites by providing customers with a U.S. address and offering affordable international delivery.[24]
References
- ^ "Jacksonville's Top 50". Jacksonville Advantage. http://advantagebizmag.com/archives/7542. Retrieved July 5, 2011.
- ^ Petrie, Kevin (November 4, 1998). "Top Stories: Unsung Heroes: Surfing Against the Tide". TheStreet.com. http://web.archive.org/web/20040716105855/http://www.avln.com/file.asp?id=40. Retrieved July 5, 2011.
- ^ Petrie, Kevin. "Top Stories: Unsung Heroes: Surfing Against the Tide". TheStreet.com. http://web.archive.org/web/20040716105855/http://www.avln.com/file.asp?id=40. Retrieved July 5, 2011.
- ^ "Michael Margolies". Forbes.com. http://people.forbes.com/profile/michael-margolies/143999. Retrieved June 27, 2011.
- ^ "Avalon Research Group, Inc.". Bloomberg Businessweek. http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=9461028. Retrieved June 27, 2011.
- ^ Waresh, Julie. "Bucking Wall Street - and winning". Palm Beach Post. http://web.archive.org/web/20040716231012/http://www.avln.com/file.asp?id=46. Retrieved July 5, 2011.
- ^ "Michael Margolies". Forbes. http://people.forbes.com/profile/michael-margolies/143999. Retrieved June 27, 2011.
- ^ "Investorside Research Association". Investorside. http://www.investorside.org. Retrieved 22 September 2011.
- ^ Thomas, Landon (23 December 2002). "Can Settlement Actually Level Playing Field For Investors?". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2002/12/23/business/can-settlement-actually-level-playing-field-for-investors.html?src=pm. Retrieved 22 September 2011.
- ^ Hutchinson, Thomas. "Avalon Research Group Bought for up to $21 million". Integrity Researchwatch. http://integrityresearch.blogdrive.com/archive/55.html. Retrieved July 7, 2011.
- ^ Shah, Saeed (September 25, 2005). "Metal Bulletin sells Avalon for just $1". The Independent (London). http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/metal-bulletin-sells-avalon-for-just-1-508567.html. Retrieved July 7, 2011.
- ^ "Capital is Available Now For High Quality Growth Companies". PR Newswire. http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/capital-is-available-now-for-high-quality-growth-companies-says-senior-wall-street-veteran-and-littlebanc-ceo-michael-margolies-69982362.html. Retrieved July 7, 2011.
- ^ "Littlebanc Recent Transactions". http://www.littlebanc.com/investment-banking/recent-transactions. Retrieved June 27, 2011.
- ^ "Littlebanc Advisors Raises $3 Million in Series A Preferred Financing for Apollidon". Reuters. April 14, 2011. http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/04/14/idUS204452+14-Apr-2011+GNW20110414. Retrieved July 7, 2011.
- ^ "Divine Skin Care raises capital". Miami Herald. http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/10/05/2440613/divine-skin-care-raises-capital.html. Retrieved October 10, 2011.
- ^ "About Us". http://www.examsoft.com/main/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=36&Itemid=14. Retrieved July 7, 2011.
- ^ "About Liberator Medical Supply". http://www.liberatormedical.com/about.html. Retrieved July 7, 2011.
- ^ "LML Payment Systems". http://www.lmlpayment.com/.
- ^ "Littlebanc facilitates $4M investment in Planet Payment". The Green Sheet. http://www.greensheet.com/newswire.php?flag=display_story&id=16548. Retrieved July 7, 2011.
- ^ "Investors Network.". Littlebanc.. http://www.littlebanc.com/merchant-banking/investors-network. Retrieved 22 September 2011.
- ^ "Littlebanc Advisors Completes Its 4th Successful Financing for Florida Companies". Yahoo! Finance. http://ar.us.biz.yahoo.com/pz/101123/207665.html?.v=1. Retrieved July 7, 2011.
- ^ "Littlebanc CEO Michael Margolies Joins HiConversion Board of Directors". http://hiconversion.co/company/press-room/littlebanc-ceo-michael-margolies-joins-hiconversion-board-of-directors/. Retrieved July 7, 2011.
- ^ "Littlebanc Advisors Announces the Completion of Its 5th Transaction for Florida Companies; $1.5 Million Series A Funding for Powers Device Technologies, Inc.". MSNBC.com. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42095357/ns/business-press_releases/t/littlebanc-advisors-announces-completion-its-th-transaction-florida-companies-million-series-funding-powers-device-technologies-inc/. Retrieved July 7, 2011.
- ^ "Littlebanc Advisors Secures $3 Million Private Placement for SkyShop Logistics, Inc., an International e-Commerce Service Company". Yahoo! Finance. http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Littlebanc-Advisors-Secures-3-pz-3177527631.html?x=0&.v=1. Retrieved July 7, 2011.
External links
Categories:- 1958 births
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- People in finance
- People from New York
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