ARLINGTON, Va., Dec. 1, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- FBR Capital Markets Corporation (Nasdaq:FBCM) (FBR Capital Markets), a leading investment bank serving the middle market, today announced the launch of its new Listed Options platform which will be led from New York by Rich Winter, who has joined the firm as Managing Director. Joining him in Sales are Josh Diamant, Senior Vice President; Darius Kirksey, Senior Vice President; and Tom Butler, Vice President. In Trading, he is joined by John Cassol, Senior Vice President. The unit is part of the firm's newly added Credit, Convertibles & Options group.

"Our capability in listed options is highly complementary to our broader institutional platform and will provide new and existing clients with an even more robust and complete portfolio of products and services," said Michael Lloyd, Senior Managing Director and Head of Credit, Convertibles & Options at FBR Capital Markets. "The addition of Listed Options enables clients to take greater advantage of our award-winning research and fundamental analysis through derivative strategies. Our highly experienced team will permit accounts to fully execute on those ideas in the marketplace."

Mr. Winter added, "Combining our capabilities as a market-maker for trading partners with our customized idea generation elevates FBR Capital Markets' Listed Options business and enables us to be immediately relevant to our client base. The team we have assembled is exceptional, and we are all excited to deliver a new product to existing clients and new clients to our existing products."

FBR Capital Markets' Listed Options platform is the latest addition to a suite of new institutional products and services established over the past year. Over that period of time and in accordance with its strategic plan, FBR Capital Markets has substantially broadened its portfolio to include capabilities complementary to its traditional equity capital markets franchise. In addition to the recent launches of Convertible Securities, Credit Sales & Trading and European Equity Research products, the firm launched a Prime Brokerage unit in the third quarter.

Mr. Winter has nearly 20 years of experience in equity derivatives and joins FBR Capital Markets from KBC Financial Products where he was Executive Vice President and Head of Derivative Sales & Structuring. Prior to helping launch KBC Financial Products' Derivatives platform, he was Senior Vice President and Head of Equity Derivatives at D.E. Shaw & Co. He began his career at Merrill Lynch where he rose to Vice President of Equity Derivative Sales. Mr. Winter holds a Bachelor of Arts from Dartmouth College.

Mr. Cassol is a 20-year veteran of stock and options trading and was recently Director of Listed Options Trading at Societe Generale. His career in options trading began at O'Connor & Associates, a pioneer in equity derivatives which was later purchased by UBS. Over the course of his 15-year tenure with the firm, he rose to Executive Director and also served as Head of U.S. Single Stock Option Trading. Mr. Cassol earned a Bachelor of Science in finance from the Indiana University of Pennsylvania.

Mr. Diamant joins FBR Capital Markets from Banc of America Securities where he was a principal within Institutional Equity Derivative Sales. He began his career with Banc of America Securities as a private client services analyst and subsequently joined Lehman Brothers as a private client services associate. He later returned to Banc of America Securities as a member of its options desk, rising to Principal. Mr. Diamant received a Bachelor of Arts from Emory University.

For nearly 15 years, Mr. Kirksey has helped launch derivatives platforms across numerous underlying asset classes. He joins FBR Capital Markets from Newedge Group, a joint venture between Calyon and Societe Generale, where he was Senior Vice President of U.S. Equity Derivatives. He began his career at Cantor Fitzgerald and helped establish the company's Latin American Debt and Foreign Exchange Exotic groups as well as launch exotic options desks in New York, London and Tokyo. In 2001, he relocated to New York to help rebuild Cantor Fitzgerald's Equity Derivatives group. Mr. Kirksey holds a Bachelor of Arts from Dartmouth College.

Mr. Butler, also with nearly 15 years of experience in equity derivatives, joins FBR Capital Markets from Capstone Global Markets. Prior to that, he spent six years with Susquehanna International Group. He previously held positions in options sales and trading with KBC Financial Products, Banc of America Securities and ING Furman Selz. Mr. Butler earned a Bachelor of Science in management from Keuka College.

FBR Capital Markets Corporation (Nasdaq:FBCM) provides investment banking, merger and acquisition advisory, institutional brokerage, prime brokerage and research services through its subsidiary FBR Capital Markets & Co. FBR Capital Markets focuses capital and financial expertise on seven industry sectors: consumer; diversified industrials; energy & natural resources; financial institutions; insurance; real estate; and technology, media & telecom. Asset management services are provided by FBR Investment Management, Inc., and mutual funds are provided by FBR Fund Advisers, Inc.; both companies are subsidiaries of FBR Capital Markets Corporation. FBR Capital Markets is headquartered in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area with offices throughout the United States and in London. For more information, please visit www.fbrcapitalmarkets.com.

The FBR Capital Markets Corporation logo is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=6405

CONTACT:  FBR Capital Markets Corporation
          Media:
          Troy D. Gravitt
            703.469.1004
            tgravitt@fbr.com
          Investors:
          Bradley J. Wright
            703.469.1080
            fbcmir@fbr.com