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Learn about the Heritage of Merrill Lynch
through our company History Timeline.
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Company History Timeline
2000
Merrill Lynch creates an equity wholesaling business in Europe, MLX MarketEdge, which provides broker-dealer clients fast and reliable trading in 15,000 European, U.S. and U.K. equities. Merrill Lynch's browser-based MLX portal provides a single electronic window through which investors can access any product, any time in the trading cycle, anywhere in the world. 
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Merrill Lynch and the Greenlining Institute announce a three-year initiative to encourage new investments, economic opportunities and home ownership in Asian Pacific, Latino and African-American communities in Southern California and the San Francisco Bay area. More Info
Merrill Lynch merges with Herzog Heine Geduld, the third-largest Nasdaq market maker. More Info
2001
After the attacks on the World Trade Center towers, nearly all of the firm’s 9,000-person Wall Street employees are evacuated from their offices. Three Merrill Lynch employees — David Brady, Robert McIlvaine and Michael Packer — are killed in the attacks.
The Merrill Lynch Foundation announces £2 million (U.S. $3 million) in grants to the Prince's Trust and the Phoenix Trust, charitable organizations in the United Kingdom.
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2002
Merrill Lynch reaches a $100 million settlement with the New York State Attorney General over alleged conflicts of interest by its research managers. By doing so, the firm sets a new industry standard for policies to protect the independence and integrity of research.
Merrill Lynch names E. Stanley O'Neal as chief executive officer in December. He becomes chairman of the board on 28 April 2003. More Info
In March, less than a year after the attacks of September 11, 2001, Merrill Lynch marks its official homecoming to the World Financial Center in lower Manhattan.
Global Private Client is created, combining Merrill Lynch’s U.S. and International private client groups. The new organization is designed to leverage technology, elevate service and meet the wealth management needs of clients. More Info
2003
Merrill Lynch announces Total Merrill, a financial management platform that clients can use to organize all, or components of, their financial life from everyday cash management to long-term investments and liabilities. More Info
2004
Merrill Lynch begins making targeted acquisitions, alliances and other strategic acquisitions —30 by 2006 — to round out its product and service capabilities. It also recruits new experts and managers in key businesses like equities, investment banking and consumer finance.
To expand its product offering to institutional investor and corporate clients, Merrill Lynch acquires Entergy-Koch L.P., a commodities business based in Houston and London that trades natural gas, power and weather derivatives. More Info
2005
Non-U.S. net revenues and pretax earnings in the year grow by more than double the rate of those from the United States, with particularly strong performances from Europe and the Pacific Rim.
Expanding its private client operations, Merrill Lynch acquires retail brokerage firm Advest Group from AXA Financial and a U.S. 401(k) retirement business from AMVESCAP Plc. More Info
2006
As each of its geographic regions generates impressive growth, Merrill Lynch records its largest percentage ever of revenue from non-U.S. business.
Merrill Lynch creates an investment management firm with $1 trillion in assets under management by merging Merrill Lynch Investment Managers with BlackRock, Inc. Merrill Lynch holds an economic interest in the combined firm of approximately one half. More Info
Merrill Lynch expands in some of the world's most dynamic economies: In Japan, Merrill Lynch and Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group launch a private banking and wealth management joint venture called Mitsubishi UFJ Merrill Lynch PB Securities. More Info
In India, Merrill Lynch increases its ownership stake to 90 percent in DSP Merrill Lynch, its investment banking and wealth management joint venture with DSP Financial Consultants. More Info
2007
To enhance its private client capabilities, Merrill Lynch announces the acquisition of First Republic Bank, a U.S. private banking and wealth management firm focused on high-net-worth individuals and their businesses. More Info
Merrill Lynch also says it will acquire First Franklin, a non-prime mortgage origination franchise and related servicing platform. More Info
Merrill Lynch appoints John A. Thain chairman and chief executive officer as of December 1. More Info
2008
Merrill Lynch announces a plan to reduce its risk exposures by $11.1 billion, including a substantial sale of U.S. collateral debt obligations comprised of asset-backed securities. More Info
Bank of America Corporation agrees to acquire Merrill Lynch in an all-stock transaction that creates a company unrivaled in its breadth of financial services and global reach. More Info
2009
Merrill Lynch officially becomes a wholly owned subsidiary of Bank of America.
The Heritage of the Bank of America