Our History
The following is a timeline highlighting some of the events that have shaped LaBranche for over a century:
- January 1901
- George M.L. LaBranche begins trading US Steel on the Broad St. outdoor curb exchange.
- April 1903
- Mr. LaBranche moves into the new NYSE facility on Wall Street.
- January 1924
- George M.L. LaBranche forms LaBranche & Co. with his son George M.L. LaBranche Jr. with three stocks.
- October 1929
- LaBranche & Co. becomes the Specialist in AT&T.
- October 1929
- Stock market crashes - record 16 million shares traded on October 29.
- May 1933
- Securities Act of 1933 enacted.
- June 1934
- Securities Act of 1934 enacted.
- December 1966
- Transmission of trade and quote data from Floor is fully automated.
- April 1975
- Fixed commission system abolished.
- June 1975
- LaBranche & Co. acquires Stonehill, Gitterman and Co.. Now has 10 seats and 37 stocks.
- June 1975
- Full consolidated tape introduced.
- March 1976
- Designated Order Turnaround (DOT) system inaugurated.
- March 1976
- Alternative listing standards adopted to facilitate listing of non-U.S. companies.
- May 1976
- Specialists begin handling odd lots in their stocks.
- April 1978
- Intermarket Trading System (ITS) inaugurated.
- January 1990
- LaBranche & Co. acquires Specialist firm Agora Inc.
- December 1992
- Glaxo, a LaBranche listed company, becomes the first non-U.S. company to be the most active NYSE issue.
- August 1996
- LaBranche & Co. conducts first client satisfaction survey.
- May 1997
- LaBranche & Co. is first Specialist to host educational conference for listed company clients.
- June 1997
- NYSE begins trading stocks in increments of one-sixteenth.
- July 1997
- LaBranche & Co. acquires a portion of the Specialist operations of Stern Bros., LLC.
- August 1997
- LaBranche & Co. acquires Specialist firm Ernst, Homans, Ware & Keelips.
- July 1998
- LaBranche & Co. acquires Specialist firm Fowler, Rosenau & Geary, LLC and becomes the leading Specialist in dollar volume traded on the NYSE.
- August 1999
- LaBranche & Co. launches IPO to become the first independent publicly-traded Specialist firm.
- March 2000
- LaBranche & Co. acquires Specialist firm Henderson Brothers, Inc.
- March 2000
- LaBranche & Co. acquires Specialist firm Webco Securities, Inc.
- December 2000
- LaBranche & Co. acquires the assets of an AMEX options Specialist.
- January 2001
- NYSE begins trading all stocks in decimal increments.
- February 2001
- LaBranche & Co. is first Specialist to begin wireless communication pilot from Floor to clients.
- March 2001
- LaBranche & Co. acquires Robb Peck McCooey Specialist Corporation.
- August 2001
- LaBranche & Co. acquires Cranmer & Cranmer, an American Stock Exchange Specialist firm.
- October 2001
- LaBranche & Co. acquires Specialist firm Bocklett & Co.
- January 2002
- LaBranche & Co. launches LaBranche Financial Services.
- March 2002
- LaBranche & Co. acquires AMEX Specialist firm Goin & Co. LLC.
- June 2002
- LaBranche & Co. launches LaBranche Structured Products, LLC as an options trading specialist.
- September 2002
- LaBranche & Co. acquires Rights Specialist firm Hochstin & Co.
- June 2004
- LaBranche & Co. launches LaBranche Structured Products Specialists, LLC as an ETF trading specialist on the NYSE.
- March 2006
- LaBranche & Co. Inc. launches LaBranche Structured Products Europe Limited as a market-maker in the United Kingdom.
- April 2006
- LaBranche & Co. Inc. registers LaBranche Structured Products Hong Kong Limited as a broker-dealer with Hong Kong's Securities and Futures Commission.