Bear Stearns Companies

The original Bear Stearns was started on May 1, 1923 as a US based Equity Trading house with a partnership between Joseph A. Bear, Robert B. Stearns and Harold C. Mayer. The company thrived in the booming post war expansion bringing investment options to the masses. Bear Stearns was instrumental in making history by developing the bond market in response to President Roosevelts infrastructure development initiatives as the country struggled out of the Depression and during the 1940s was instrumental in the evolution of the rail industry through key mergers and acquisitions. By 1948 international expansion began and through the 50s became one of the originators of block trading strategies. Throughout the 1960s Bear Stearns became a household name among investors and was highly successful in pioneering the retail business model we know today, developing into a financial powerhouse that continued to make history. By the 1980s Bear Stearns had become a billion dollar powerhouse and gre...