Research Paper on:
Merrill Lynch - SWOT Analysis

Unformatted Sample Text from the Research Paper:
Charles E. Merrill in 1914 (Figenschou, 2001). The company has changed and diversified over the years to its present operations of providing financial services for every venue of population (Sarath,  2006). Its present operations include three major segments: Global Markets and Investment Banking Group; Global Private Client Group; and Merrill Lynch Investment Managers (Sarath, 2006). The Global Market segment generate  more than half the companys revenues; the Global Private Group is the wealth management segment and the Management group which offers asset management services, is merging with BlackRock, Inc. (Sarath,  2006). This history is a competitive strength for Merrill Lynch in terms of international brand recognition. Until very recently, Merrill Lynch enjoyed the competitive reputation of being the undisputed leader  in the industry (Sarath, 2006). That provided a competitive edge other companies tried to catch. The operational divisions can also be viewed as a strength of the company because they  each have clear goals, objectives and operational procedures. In effect, each targets a specific niche in the financial industry. Another strength of the company is its no-nonsense president and  then, CEO, Stan ONeal who took the helm in 2001 and turned the company around (Rynecki, 2004). ONeal streamlined a company that had become lazy and extremely top-heavy, too diverse  and too broad (Rynecki, 2004). He replaced the massive executive team with nine top executives, including women and minorities (Rynecki, 2004). As a result of ONeals leadership, Merrill Lynch has  resources other firms may not have. They had a 47.2 percent sales increase between 2004 and 2005 with more than a 15 percent increase in net income (Sarath, 2006). Thus,  they have substantial fiscal resources. The company also has more than 100 years worth of experience in the business, which is another strength for the company. There is a