Consumer >> Analyst Interviews >> April 5, 2004
MARIA RICKERT joined Jefferies & Company, Inc., in November 2000. Ms.
Rickert is a member of the firm's Gaming and Leisure equity research
team, focusing on the gaming manufacturer sector. Prior to joining
Jefferies, Ms. Rickert was a member of Lehman Brothers' Institutional
Investor-ranked oil service equity research team. Prior to Lehman
Brothers, she was with Salomon Smith Barney, where she was also a member
of an Institutional Investor-ranked oil service equity research team.
Ms. Rickert made the transition to equity research analyst from
marketing specialist for Halliburton Energy Services after receiving her
MBA in Finance and Strategy from Tulane University. She holds a BA in
Geography from the University of New Orleans. Profile
LAWRENCE KLATZKIN is a Managing Director in the Equity Research
Department of Jefferies & Company, Inc., covering gaming and leisure
companies. He originally joined Jefferies' High Yield Research
Department in 1998 to cover gaming-related companies and continues to
maintain coverage on a number of high yield credits. Mr. Klatzkin has
over 21 years of equity and high yield research experience and has
specialized in the casino sector for the last 17 years. He joined
Jefferies from Donaldson Lufkin Jenrette, where he was a Vice President
and Gaming Analyst in the High Yield Research Department. Prior to
working for DLJ, Mr. Klatzkin worked at Salomon Brothers, Prudential
Securities, Shearson Lehman Brothers and Smith Barney. In the past, Mr.
Klatzkin has been ranked in the Institutional Investor annual fixed
income analyst poll five years, two of which he was ranked number one.
In addition, he was awarded second place in the Gaming Industry Observer
'Excellence in Analysis' awards in both 1999 and 2000. He also authors a
regular column on industry-related articles for Global Gaming Business
magazine. Mr. Klatzkin received a BA from the University of Pennsylvania
in 1979 and an MBA in Finance from New York University Graduate School
of Business in 1982. Profile
Mr. Klatzkin: It's been a very good year following a very good year last
year. Last year the gaming stocks were up over 50%, and
