AGE Edwards AG

ST. LOUIS, Jan. 9 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- For the ninth consecutive time, St. Louis-based A.G. Edwards (NYSE:AGE) is included in FORTUNE magazine's "100 Best Companies to Work For in America." Also included in two previous versions of the list published as books, today's accolade marks the 11th time the St. Louis-based financial services firm has appeared on this prestigious list. The most recent list appears in the FORTUNE magazine's Jan. 23 edition. Ranking 70th in the annual survey, the firm was recognized for providing opportunities for employees to earn college credit by taking courses through A.G. Edwards University, the company's in-house training department. "I have long held that our brand is our people and our product is our knowledge. Our commitment to our training program underscores this belief," said Robert L. Bagby, chairman and chief executive officer of A.G. Edwards. "That is why we continue to invest in our employees through training. Not only are they developing their individual knowledge and skills, but they are able to continue delivering the superior client service for which we have become known." A.G. Edwards is one of only two St. Louis-based companies to make the list and one of only a handful of companies that have appeared on every list since FORTUNE began publishing the "100 Best" in 1998. The firm was also included in the first two editions of the list when it was published as a book in 1984 and again in 1993 by Robert Levering and Milton Moskowitz of the Great Place to Work Institute, who now assist FORTUNE with its annual list compilation. For this year's list, companies were evaluated based on their personnel policies and corporate culture as well as opinions of the companies' employees. FORTUNE surveyed more than 400 randomly selected employees from each of 466 companies, and these employee opinions accounted for two-thirds of the total score each company received. Training This is not the first time A.G. Edwards' training programs have been recognized by a national publication. For the fifth consecutive year, A.G. Edwards University was included among the nation's top 100 corporate training programs in a 2005 ranking by Training magazine. The firm was also named one of the "ten smartest companies in America" in a recently published business book titled What's Your Corporate IQ? by Jim Underwood (2004). This was based in large part on the firm's ongoing investment in training. "As we continue to improve our training program, we also are constantly evaluating our benefits program that our employees rely upon and use on a regular basis," Bagby said. "By providing a variety of resources to promote a happy and healthy lifestyle to our employees, we strive to achieve a productive and positive environment here at the firm." Bagby noted the addition of a new state-of-the-art fitness center at the firm's headquarters, which features a cardio theater filled with elliptical trainers, treadmills, stationary bikes and rowing machines as well as strength-training equipment, two studio rooms for group exercise classes and complete locker-room facilities. The Jan. 23 issue of FORTUNE featuring the latest "100 Best" list will be on newsstands Jan. 16, 2006. 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 nearly 7,000 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 CONTACT: Mary Pat Sueme, +1-314-955-2096, , or Byron Goodrich, +1-314-955-3235, , both of A.G. Edwards Web site: http://agedwards.com/ http://agedwards.com/disclosures http://www.fortune.com/

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