AGE Edwards AG

ST. LOUIS, Jan. 8 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Bringing its record to a perfect 10 for 10 of consecutive appearances, St. Louis-based A.G. Edwards (NYSE:AGE) is included once again in FORTUNE magazine's list of the "100 Best Companies to Work For." The financial services firm was also included in two previous versions of the list published as books more than twenty years ago, making A.G. Edwards one of only six companies that have appeared on all 12 iterations of the list. The most recent list appears in FORTUNE magazine's Jan. 22 edition, which hits newsstands next week. Ranking A.G. Edwards 99th in this year's edition of the annual survey, FORTUNE recognized the company for what the magazine called its "down-to- earth" business approach that distinguishes the firm from its Wall Street peers. Employee ticket giveaways to St. Louis Cardinal baseball games and an employee chorus at the St. Louis headquarters were listed as examples of several of the nontraditional benefits the firm offers to its employees. "I truly believe the most important asset our company has is our people," said Robert L. Bagby, chairman and chief executive officer of A.G. Edwards. "We spend a good deal of our time and resources on providing our employees with quality training opportunities and exceptional benefits that make working here a rewarding experience. We are honored to see these efforts recognized by our employees, and we are proud to again be a part of this distinguished group of companies." A.G. Edwards is one of only two St. Louis-based companies to make the list and one of only 22 companies that were inducted into FORTUNE's "Hall of Fame" in 2005, recognizing those who had appeared on every list since FORTUNE began publishing the "100 Best Companies to Work For" in 1998. According to the magazine, the competition to get on the list is intensifying, with 446 companies competing for a spot this year, up from just 161 in the magazine's first year publishing the list. The "100 Best Companies to Work For" list is compiled for FORTUNE by Robert Levering and Milton Moskowitz of the Great Place to Work Institute in San Francisco based on two criteria: an evaluation of the policies and culture of each company, and the opinions of the company's employees. More weight is given to employee feedback, with two-thirds of each company's total score coming from responses to a 57-question survey that goes to a minimum of 400 randomly selected employees from each company. More than 100,000 employees from 446 companies participated in the survey this year, which asks about things such as attitudes toward management, job satisfaction and camaraderie within the organization. Companies have to be at least seven years old and have 1,000 or more employees to be eligible for the list. The Jan. 22 issue of FORTUNE featuring the latest "100 Best Companies to Work For" list will be on newsstands beginning the week of Jan. 15, 2007. The results of the survey are also available online at http://www.fortune.com/. About A.G. Edwards Drawn to the firm's client-first philosophy, individuals and businesses have turned to A.G. Edwards & Sons, Inc., for sound advice and access to a wide array of investment products and services that can help them meet their financial goals and objectives. Founded in 1887, A.G. Edwards and its affiliates employ more than 6,500 financial consultants in more than 700 offices nationwide and two European locations in London and Geneva. More information can be found on agedwards.com. How we do business A.G. Edwards generally acts as a broker-dealer, but may act as an investment advisor on designated accounts, and the firm's obligations will vary with the role it plays. When working with clients the firm generally acts as a broker-dealer unless specifically indicated in writing. To better understand the differences between brokerage and advisory services, please consult "Important Information About Your Relationship With A.G. Edwards" on agedwards.com/disclosures. Note: Although the results of the survey were reported in FORTUNE, the publication is not associated with A.G. Edwards nor does it endorse any product or service offered by A.G. Edwards. DATASOURCE: A.G. Edwards, Inc. CONTACT: Mary Pat Sueme, +1-314-955-2096, or , or Byron Goodrich, +1-314-955-3235, or , both of A.G. Edwards, Inc. Web site: http://www.agedwards.com/ http://www.fortune.com/

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