ARLINGTON, Va., Jan. 14, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- FBR & Co. (Nasdaq:FBRC) (FBR), a leading investment bank serving the middle market, announced the hiring of Edward P. White as Senior Vice President, Senior Research Analyst in its Equity Research Department. Mr. White will be based in New York and will focus on the biotech sector. 

"We are excited to further build out our healthcare effort, and specifically our focus on biopharma and biotech, with this addition to the team. Ed's deep understanding of the science, coupled with his vast buyside and sellside experience, provide the diverse background that is consistent with what we believe makes an invaluable analyst for our clients," said David M. Hilal, Senior Managing Director and Director of Research at FBR. "We currently have over 40 healthcare companies under coverage. With the addition of Ed and the team's ongoing development, we expect to more than double that in 2015 as we continue to deliver quality, value-add research through our proprietary framework - The Debate TM."

Mr. White has nearly 20 years of experience as an equity analyst covering the healthcare sector. He began his career at Oppenheimer and has held positions at Deutsche Bank Securities, Mitsubishi UFJ Trust, and Murphy & Durieu. Most recently, he served as Senior Managing Director at Laidlaw & Company where he built and lead the healthcare effort. He is a graduate of Manhattan College and holds an MBA from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. 

FBR & Co. (Nasdaq:FBRC) provides investment banking, merger and acquisition advisory, institutional brokerage, and research services through its subsidiary FBR Capital Markets & Co. FBR focuses capital and financial expertise on the following industry sectors: consumer; diversified industrials; energy & natural resources; financial institutions; healthcare; insurance; real estate; and technology, media & telecom. FBR is headquartered in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area with offices throughout the United States. For more information, please visit www.fbr.com.

Statements in this release concerning future performance, developments, events, market forecasts, revenues, expenses, earnings, run rates and any other guidance on present or future periods constitute forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of factors, risks and uncertainties that might cause actual results to differ materially from stated expectations or current circumstances. These factors include, but are not limited to, the effect of demand for public and private securities offerings, activity in the secondary securities markets, interest rates, the risks associated with merchant banking investments, the realization of gains and losses on principal investments, available technologies, competition for business and personnel, and general economic, political and market conditions. For a discussion of these and other risks and important factors that could affect FBR's future results and financial condition, see "Risk Factors" in Part I, Item 1A and "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" in Part II, Item 7 of the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2013; and other items throughout the Company's Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, and Current Reports on Form 8-K.

CONTACT: Investors: Bradley J. Wright at 703.312.9678
         or bwright@fbr.com
         Media: Shannon Hawkins at 703.469.1190
         or shawkins@fbr.com

FBR & Co.