Bank of America Merrill Lynch, the investment banking arm of Bank of America Corp., announced Monday that it has added NPD Group, Litigation Notes and 451 Group to Merrill Open Minds, bringing to 10 the number of third-party research providers available on the platform.
The additions were prompted by investor demand for more research from specialized resources, Bank of America Merrill said.
The platform has also added an On Demand feature through which users signing a monthly or annual contract can access eight of its alternative research providers. Merrill Open Minds provides research covering areas such as socially responsible investing, corporate integrity risk, federal legislation and regulation, litigation, health care, technology, media, energy and consumer surveys.
NPD Group provides consumer panel and point of sale information on industries including technology, entertainment, fashion and office supplies.
Litigation Notes is focused on situations in which the outcome of litigation involving patent disputes, product liability and mergers and acquisitions may factor into an investment decision.
451 Group tracks emerging information technologies applicable to enterprise IT.
Merrill Lynch, which had $1.2 trillion of assets under management as of Dec. 26, has offices in 40 countries.
